Another Quick Triple Review: Love, Tears, or Paranormal Edition

Last time I took forever to write that triple review, so I'm going to try to give a quick "sum it up" snippet review so I can get back in the swing of things here.  Here we go!

I Remember You is another Harriet Evans novel, which for me should be enough said.  I don't know what it is about Harriet Evans, but that lady knows how to weave a good yarn!  In some ways, I feel guilty including her lengthy beauties in a triple review post because they are so darn good.  There is a complex story woven here that you have to invest time to get into, but it is worth it.  Tess Tennant moves to her home town to teach.  There she meets back up with friends and loves from years before.  It's during a school trip to Rome, however, that Tess's story takes a dramatic and heart-wrenching turn.

Honestly, this novel takes a lot of time to get through.  You think you know what is going to happen and then parts of the story unfold and reveal themselves to you.  I kind of like that unpredictable nature to them, although once that one piece falls in to place, you know the rest of it.  I still really love a good Harriet Evans novel and felt this one did not disappoint.  If anyone will make me cry, Evans will.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry  falls into the NA (New Adult) genre and seems to fall into the wounded soul category again.  I'm only speaking from my own experience here, but the only NA books I have read all seem to have characters that are wounded and come together romantically speaking and heal their issues through their love.  I'm not completely sold on it.  Noah is the guy who went from jock to freak outsider who gets gossiped about.  We find out that he's just trying to  hold it together and get his brothers back now in the temporary custody of another family.  Echo had her own secrets she was coming terms with and together they helped one another deal with them.

I think I got caught up in the hype, especially coming off the buzz that came with books like Easy as well.  Maybe it's the idea of characters that had experienced so much and had worked through so much pain and grown up together that made me think it was going to be a great read, but it just didn't come together for me.  I also think that I might be looking at it as a high school teacher who worries about its marketing and perception by the students who might pick it up.  I do think there is a particular audience who might be ready for this novel, but I'm not sure I fit into it.

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill is the second in the Chicagoland series.  I kind of like this series, but I'm still not sure why.  Sometimes I get bored, but that's just because I feel like it takes an entire book for something to happen.  For instance, it takes an entire book for her to become a vampire (that's book one), and entire book for their to be a problem and you to figure out that someone has a grudge against her because of her rich family (that's book two).  Okay, so I oversimplify, but you get the gist.  I do like the character development in these books and I care about what is going to happen to them, so that is what tends to keep me reading.  In the end, isn't that what makes a good book?  I'm entertained, and I like the characters.  Also, in a strange way, it feels new to me, which I would think is extremely hard for a writer of vampire fiction!  Kudos to Chloe Neill for that.

Well, I succeeded in getting another triple review written.  Let's see if I can writing a few other reviews.  I've actually been reading a lot this summer.  I'm exercising like crazy, eating super healthy, and sleeping like a mad woman (if mad women sleep like crazy).  You get what I'm saying, right?  Anyway, I'm doing all of that trying-to-be-healthy-and-feel-better sort of stuff so I'll be a better and more healthy me by this fall.  On the whole, I'm just repairing myself so I'll stop having killer migraines and so I'll be happier!  Anyway, I'd like to be caught up with reviews before I head back to work, so I might be back with another triple review!  I hope you're having a great summer, whatever you're reading and whatever you're doing.