The Promise - Wilson, C.E

Fantasy, Supernatural, Mystery, Young Adult

3 out of 5 stars
Ebook

What does it mean to be a human?
Lily Larkin is about to find out when on what should have been a day of great happiness, she is diagnosed with a rare and unbelievable disease. She is shrinking, possibly without limit.
As her life starts to spin out of control and the world starts to grow around her at an uncontrollable rate she is forced to confront her greatest fear - losing the man whom she loved from the moment she saw him. Can they stay together even though she feels her humanity slipping away? Can she trust him with her secret and, as her disease progresses, her safety and even her life? Can she trust herself?
A bittersweet story of love and loss, The Promise is a YA 
Paranormal Fantasy that will have you questioning the meaning of your own humanity and the weighing of trust against love.
What will Lily choose?
What would you choose? (From Goodreads)

This took me a lot longer to finish then I intended, but I couldn't get as much into the story as I liked.
Lilly is a tough girl complete with tattoo's and dreadlocks. She's married to a wonderful man named Eric, who loves her so very much, despite her rough exterior and stubbornness.
Lily who stands at about six feet tall, realizes one day that she is shrinking. At first she tries to hide it from Eric, but he eventually notices. They are flabbergasted that Lilly is getting shorter and it doesn't seem to be stopping. Eric's best friend Mark researches that there could be others like Lilly out there, those that have shrunk down to about six inches, and can no longer live amongst normal humans.
Eric is adiment about trying to live a normal life with his wife, despite the fact taht she is getting smaller and smaller every day. While Lilly doesn't want to get help from anyone and tries to do everything on her own despite being three feet tall.
I didn't like Lily as much as I wanted to. I found her to be way to stubborn. She should have just accpeted Erics, seen that she couldn't handle this problem on her own. Especially since Eric was so loving, caring, patient, and wanted nothing more then to see his wife happy. He wanted to help her, to show her that she wasn't alone, but Lily had a hard time getting that through her head. She seemed to think she was a burden to Eric, even though he told her he wasn't. Silly stubborn girl.

At the 75% mark the book really started to pick up, and I loved it. We know that Lilly isn't alone with this shrinking disease, and she can go somewhere and be safe with others like her.
The ending was bitter sweet, and I had wished to see more of it, especially what it was like for Lilly growing up with others like her, and how she met her husband.
I wouldn't mind reading another book about that, as this new world the author created has left me wanting to know so much more about it.

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Wolf Sirens: Forbidden: Discover The Legend - Smith, Tina

Supernatural, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Mythology
3 out of 5 stars
Kindle/PDF, 370 pages

 When Lila unwillingly moves to the country town of Shade, she can’t imagine the life-altering events that lie in wait for her. Shade has a curfew and has always been surrounded by myths. A central feature of the town is its famous statue of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, whose spirit is said to protect the innocent.
Lila falls in with a group of intriguing teenagers with luminescent eyes and soon she is drawn into the shadow-lands of fantasy and reality, where destiny collides.
A mysterious local girl, Cresida, warns her to stay away, but Lila is drawn to them like a moth to a flame. (From Goodreads)

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed it, especially the last half and the ending was just wracked with emotion, but for a while I thought it was a bit messy. There were so many questions, and not enough answers.

We get a nice prologue that sets up the mythology of the book nicely, but it never makes a reappearance till near the end of the book.

Lila's the new girl at school, and everyone seems to ignore her except for the popular kids. They draw her into their group, want her to be like them. But Lila is skeptical, she can't understand why the populars would want her in their group. Then Cres comes into the picture and warns Lila to stay away from them. And Lila can't understand why. She thinks that Cres is crazy, especially after seeing a video of the popular kids turning into wolves. For about a quarter of the book Lila doesn't believe what Cres is trying to show her and thinks that Cres is crazy and that a few of the kids are getting hazed and bullied at school.

Eventually Lila learns that Sam and her popular friends are infect werewolves, and that Reid has taken an interest in her. She's accepted into the pack, wants to become one of them, and  be just like them, for who wouldn't want to live forever.

I felt that this was a mash up on genre's, romance, urban fantasy/supernatural and mystery. I felt like it was trying to be a bunch of different things, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.  At one time when Lila and Reid got together it felt like something out of a New Adult book, I thought there was going some hot sexy times, but that was completely skipped over. All the mention of it was 'we made love', which took me by surprise becauseI thought there'd be something more. At the same time I'm assuming the author didn't want to focus so munch on the romance, but more so on the struggles of Lila and joining the pack and all the angst that went along with it.

Sky and Lilia's romance came out of no where! All of a sudden Lila seemed so obsessed with Sky, and getting him to be hers. I could see it coming a mile away that he had feelings for her. Their romance was quick and heated, and didn't last long because of the ending!! That just took me by surprise! How could the author do that!! Made me so sad, because by the end I wanted Sky and Lila to reunite.

I felt that the mystery part of the novel felt a bit messy. I was tired of Lila thinking that everyone was apart of some sort of hazing or bullying just because the popular kids took an interest in her and seemed to ignore everyone else, but I guess that's what the reaction would be now a days, which felt real. Lila's reaction to the video was spot on too, she thought it was fake, and wanted to expose how crazy Cres was to everyone. It took her until about half the book, when she started hanging out with the pack, and see them transform to finally believe that it was all real.

The romance was a bit wonky too. I liked Lilia/Reid, it was cute and seemed guanine, but then she seemed to become so obsessed with Sky and it was out of the blue. Suddenly she didn't care about Reid anymore, even though a few pages before that she was really happy with him, and was actually surprised that someone as handsome as he could take an interest in her.  Another instance where it tried to be like a New Adult novel was the constant going back and forth between Reid and the obsessive feelings she had for Sky. Suddenly, she would do anything to be near Sky and she wanted him so badly, and would think about him almost constantly. Why she didn't break up with Reid eludes me, but I think she was too cowardly to do it, liked having a boyfriend, someone to love her. But then we learn that Reid never really liked her, that it was Sam's ploy to use Reid to ensure that Lila would stick around.

There were a few twists and turns, what Lila was destined to become, even though she wants nothing more then to be a werewolf. Which sounds just like Twilight! Lila is like Bella, although much more developed and has a backbone, doesn't like anyone push her around. Lila is a strong character, and I really liked her. She goes from being a loner, to having friends, and becoming  a strong person.

I wouldn't classify Ms. Smith's werewolves as 'werewolves'. To me a werewolf is something like out of Harry Potter, while these were just people that transformed into wolves. I see them more as shape shifters rather then werewolves. But I do like that when one was bitten, you stopped aging, and even looked younger! So Sam, who was about thirty when she was bitten, now probably looks like she' in her late teens.

Everything did tie up nicely, all the confusion and frustration I had throughout the book was tied up by the end. Although sometimes the wording and sentences in the book seemed a bit off, some things were worded oddly, some sentences I had to re-read because it sounded a bit off.

There is a second book, which I plan to read, because this one seemed to end a bit suddenly and I want to know what happens with Lila, now that she's becoming a hunter.

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Shiver - Stiefvater, Maggie

 Young Adult, Romance, Supernatural, Fiction
 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover, 392 pages

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever. (From Goodreads)

When I first started reading this it reminded me so much of Twilight with those stupid wolves. But then I realized how much better it was then Twilight, that the wolves are actual wolves, and I've always loved wolves.

It's believable so far, Grace isn't a perfect Mary Sue like I thought she would be. She's in introvert, loves books and her wolf. Reminds me of myself actually, which is wonderful because I can actually connect with the character.

High school drama, fighting friends, all totally believable.  The only thing thats squicked me out so far is that Grace is in love with a wolf, which screams bestiality, which is mega creepy. Luckily for her her wolf turns out to also be a boy.

Who happened to get shot, and transformed naked on her porch. Grace said she didn't stare, but if I just found my love interest naked on the floor, bleeding or not, I'd take a moment to stare.

I like that the book is split into Grace's and Sam's perspective. I enjoy Sam's POV much more then Graces. He has a much more interesting take on the world, because he spends most of it as a wolf.

The rules on changing seem to be pretty straightforward, if you get bit by a wolf, you become one. Although for some reason Grace hasn't, although she does have a 'wolf sense' or something, that if she focuses gives her heightened senses of smell and hearing. You become human in the spring months, and turn back into a wolf at the winter months, which seems pretty interesting to me. Although I think I'd rather be a wolf in the spring months, and human during the winter so at least I won't freeze or starve to death as a wolf. You also get a limited number of changes, I'm wondering if you get to chose to become human or wolf at the end. Although Sam said that this time would be his last time changing or something.



The chasity fact also annoys me. It's clear they Sam wants to be with Grace, but he's really hesitant about putting any moves on her. It seems like he doesn't even want to kiss her, yet he's seen her naked. And they sleep in the same bed! You can't tell me he doesn't wake up in the mornings aroused. Do something already!! Or at least talk about it or something, especially since they are clearly madly in love with each other.

I find it hard to classify the wolves as werewolves, to me those creatures are something like out of Harry Potter, a bit grotesque and very scary, not actual wolves. To me  Sam and his group are move like shape shifters, or lycans or just plain people that change into wolves, or wolves that change into people since they will eventually become wolves forever.

The ending was so frustrating! It just ends, they see each other again, and thats it no feelings from either character on what its like to see the other.

I'm going to read the next book because I liked the first one. Although Grace annoyed me more as the book went on. Sam did a bit too, although I really liked the character, the fact that he was so chaste, and felt that their love making was a mistake or something was just off. It made no sense, especially since he loved Grace so much, and wanted to be with her. He didn't react like a guy was supposed to, he was far to chaste for today's men. Which while isn't necessarily a bad thing, it would have been nice to have Sam display his want for Grace a bit more.

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Shadows in the Attic - Dowell, Roseanne

5 out of 5 Stars
Paranormal Romance

Kindle 220 pages, uses real pages

Anna Hughes and her fiance Ben have recently bought a Queen Anne Victorian home, which Anna plans to renovate. She wants to turn the attic into a space where she can do her writing. After knocking down a wall she discovers a hidden room complete a quaint writing desk, and an old trunk full of wedding garments, papers, a diary, complete with shadows hovering over it.

Anna isn't disturbed by these shadows, infect she's intrigued by them and wants to know more about the shadows, and the lives they once lived. Even more so, she wants to know why the room was sealed up to begin with.

I'm not going to lie, the first few pages of this book reminded me so much of Fifty Shades of Grey, but that may be because both main characters are named Anna. And it didn't help that Ben acted a bit like Christian, being quite serious and domineering, talking down to Ana, not approving of anything she did. I didn't much like Ben's character, he rubbed me the wrong way, the way he didn't like to get dirty, preferred art and theater, and is so engrossed in his work. But this Anna is NOTHING like FSoG, she's a semi-famous author, who loves to write, and is getting sick and tired of putting up with her controlling boyfriend.

I enjoyed the slight love triangle between the three main characters. There was the complicated loveless engagement of Ben and Anna, who feels like she is just going through the motions, as all the passion and love has gone out of their relationship. But Ben is not willing to let her go. Then there is the blossoming romance between Anna and the contractor Chad, whom I quite like as a character. He's strong, handsome, manly and most of all very attentive to Anna. He is very concerned for her and her well being. There is an undeniable attraction between the two, and its such a sweet romance.

The author gives us a look into Chad's feelings as well via third person perspective. Although I was so engrossed in the story I sometimes didn't notice the change in tense and had to go back and re-read some parts.

The story was intricately woven going from Ana's life, trials and tribulations and trying to figure out the mystery of the Diary and what happened to Mary Elizabeth.

Everything is neatly wrapped up at the end, although I felt that it was a tad rushed although everything came to a nice conclusion. Anna and Chad live happily ever after in a house they both love.

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