SUNSHINE L♥VES FICTION!!: June 2010

The Short Second LIfe of Bree Tanner - Stephenie Meyer

This is a short story about a character that was barely mentioned at the end of Eclipse. Bree Tanner is apart of the newborn vampire army that attack the Cullens. This book tells her story from when she was created until her encounter with the Cullens. We know how her story ends based on the previously mentioned book. This books helps to see the other side of the big fight that ensued.

I was unsure what to expect from this novella. I am not surprised that I enjoyed it. I really like Meyer's writing style. The imagery was great and and I feel like I felt the character's emotions. In Eclipse, I sympathized with the newborns and this made me sympathize with them even more. It gives a lot more insight to what we already knew. I liked the supporting characters especially Fred. One of my problems is that I wished that we were told what happened to him. I also wish that she were able to talk to him more and tell him all she learned about the vampire world. Overall, I enjoyed the book but it may only be because I am a fan of the Twilight saga. I got this book when it first came out but had been putting off reading it. It is hard to learn about a character and read a whole story in which you already know the ending. This novella is a special treat for fans of the series and I doubt non-fans will enjoy it as much. I wouldn't call this extremely interesting but it was nice to have the main character be a vampire. I was interested to see how Meyer changed her perspective from Bella to Bree. I don't think I will read this one again although I own the book.

3 out of 5 STARS

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Revelations - Melissa De La Cruz

Now that Schuyler is stuck living with the Force's, she has to abide by a whole new set of rules, which includes not seeing Lawrence or Ollie. To make matters worse, Mimi is meaner than ever and Jack seems to be ignoring her. Mimi has moved up the bonding ceremony between her and Jack and doesn't miss a chance to throw it in Schuyler's face. However, there is trouble in Rio, an important place of power for Blue Bloods, and everyone must go there to protect it. The Silver Bloods finally make their move and it's a bloody battle that tests loyalties. Shocking revelations are revealed about who they are really fighting against in the third installment of this series.

I enjoyed reading this book because just as the title suggests there are a lot things revealed in the plot. It started off a little slow but gets very good towards the end. I like the love "square" aspect between Schuyler, Jack, Mimi, and Oliver and I'm glad she tried not to make that the main focus in the book. I like how Jack and Schuyler, despite their love, are the same situation. However, I feel like Schuyler is less relate-able in this one because she seems very selfish, especially at the beginning. She is so involved in her own problems that she doesn't seem to care about learning the Blue Bloods history or her lessons. In the previous books, I wasn't sure what role Bliss played in all this but it is clear that the author had the master plan. I didn't really care for her character up until this point and I liked that we get to learn more about her and her sister.

Overall, I like the book and I cant't wait to get my hands on the next one! Revelations has done a good job at revealing just enough to have the reading wanting to know more. The beginning is a little slow but the ending to totally worth the time.

4 out of 5 STARS

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The Scent of Scandal - Carole Matthews

Rose Stevens, accomplished aromatherapist, moves to a small village to escape from her problems, mostly having to do with a guy. In comes Dan, the village handyman / heart-throb, who is also tied down to another woman. Rose tries to win acceptance within the little village but runs into some unexpected problems. Great Brayford is filled with eccentric characters who are all curious about their new neighbor. In such a secluded area there are bound to be rumors and speculation with Rose being in the center of it all. Can she live the peaceful life she wanted or has she simply gone from one set of problems to another?

This is a great British romantic comedy. I got this as an audio book from the library and it was read very well. I really enjoyed listening to this book! There were parts that literally made me laugh out loud or gasp for breath. I loved how all the characters were named after aromatherapy oils with neat little descriptions of each oil ... and they stay true to the oil descriptions. The reader can sympathize with Rose's situations, especially if you have been in love before. The ending was very cute and made me smile. There really wasn't much about this book that I didn't like.
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5 out 5 STARS

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Masquerade - Melissa De La Cruz

This is the second book in the Blue Bloods series.
This installment begins with Schuyler and her best friend, Oliver Hazzard-Perry, going to Italy in search of her grandfather at her dying grandmother's request. She hopes that finding him will help in their quest to defeat the Silver Bloods. In the meantime, preparations are being made for the Four Hundred Ball in New York. It is an exclusive extravaganza for Blue Bloods only. Our favorite young socialite, Mimi Force, has decided to throw a masquerade ball after party. However, with the Silver Bloods at large and Michael refusing they exist, are the young Blue Bloods as safe as they think?

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. In my opinion, it was much better than the first. The plot moves faster and we learn more about the Silver Bloods. We are introduced to a new character, Kingley, who raises questions about the villainous Mimi. The love triangle (or square) between Jack, Mimi, Schuyler, and Oliver heats up. Mimi's dislike for Schuyler increases causing her to make poor decisions that Jack has a hand in helping her out of. It is completely obvious that Jack still likes Schuyler thought he tries to keep his distance for Mimi's sake. I wish he had a bigger role in this book since he is my favorite character. --maybe in the next one.
The only problem I have is with Bliss, is she a main character and what does she have to do with the overall story? I'm sure that all of her dreams and blackouts serve a purpose in the big picture but I'm not sure what that is yet and her character is becoming an irritant. Overall, great book!

4 out of 5 STARS

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