Mindy

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson

Posted by Mindy Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews

Sep 262012

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back

Author: Sariah Wilson

Publisher: Fire & Ice Books

Published: August 15, 2012

ebook: 194 pages

Genre: YA General

ASIN: B008YIE740

FTC FYI: Review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary: Everyone knows how all those fairy tales go. The princess gets beautiful, nabs her prince, falls instantly in love, lives happily ever after and leaves her evil stepsisters in the dust.

But what happens when you’re the ugly stepsister and your obnoxiously perfect—read pretty, smart, and, worst of all, sickeningly nice—stepsister is dating the charming, tall, devastatingly handsome guy you’ve had a thing for since you were nine years old?

Quirky, artistic and snarky Mattie Lowe does not lead a charmed life. Her mother is constantly belittling her on Skype. Mercedes, the school mean girl, has made it her personal mission to torment Mattie. But worst of all? Her stepsister Ella is the most beautiful, popular girl in school and is dating Mattie’s secret longtime crush, Jake Kingston.

Tired of being left out and done with waiting for her own stupid fairy godmother to show up, Mattie decides to change her life. She’ll start by running for senior class president against wildly popular Jake.

Ella can keep her Prince Annoying. Mattie’s going to rule the school.

And no one, not even a cute and suddenly flirty Jake, is going to stop her.

My Review

I was asked to read The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah before it came out in July. Even just reading the first page, I knew I would enjoy it immensely! The characters were so well written and very fun. Mattie was so funny, oh, the things that went through her head sometimes. Jake and Mattie end up in detention together, and he thinks he can use his charms to get Mattie to do something for him. Boy, was he wrong. I liked Mattie because she was strong, and she doesn’t let herself be taken for granted. Even by the guy who she has liked for years. As much as I liked Mattie though, Ella stole the show for me. She is genuinely a great person, and such a sweetheart. I laughed out loud many times, and smiled throughout. I also asked Sariah if my teenage daughter could read it too, and she loved it just as much as I did. Here is what Michalla had to say.

The characters were fun to get to know. I laughed a ton. It was so fun to read, and I loved every minute of it.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars. Everything about this book is fun and anything that makes you smile this much is worth it. What I liked most were the strong female characters. Sariah has written several books. Find out more about her on Goodreads and her Blog.

AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE / IBOOKS / SMASHWORDS / KOBO

Castles on the Sand by E.M. Tippetts

Posted by Mindy Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews

Sep 252012

Castles on the Sand

Author: E.M. Tippetts (Emily Mah Tippetts)

Publisher: self

Published: August 2012

ISBN13: 9781479120291

Genre: YA Contemporary

FTC FYI: Received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary: Madison Lukas knows her place in the world. She’s not pretty, not interesting, and therefore easy to forget.

John Britton is serving his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and has been praying for fifteen years to find the sister he lost in his parents’ divorce. She is beautiful, talented, and makes kindness a fine art.

When John and Madison cross paths, he recognizes her at once, but Madison is certain that he’s got it all wrong. Even if she is his long-lost sister, she can’t possibly be the exceptional, amazing girl he thinks she is, can she?

My Review

Madison is a very sweet girl with a lot going on her life, even though she doesn’t think so. She has a best friend, that isn’t really a friend at all, and all-of-the-sudden boys are paying attention to her. Madison doesn’t think very well of herself, and doesn’t know how to react when she gets all the attention she does. Her “best friend” Kailie, who has some series issues herself, does not like the attention that Madison gets from the school hunk, and does some mean things to her that ends up with Madison black and blue. Madison suddenly meets her long-lost brother, which confuses her. All of her life, she thought she was an only child. Her mother is an artist, and pretty much lets Madison do what she wants. As long as she leaves her alone. At least her boss, Siraj is nice to her. There are also some encounters with the “town psycho” that had me curious.

3 of out 5 stars. The things Kailie do to her really started to get to me, and a couple things in the relationship were left unexplained. I really enjoyed, though, Madison’s relationships with her brother John, Siraj, and Alex. I really liked Alex, and I was happy to see there were people in Madison’s life that treated her well, and appreciated what a great person she is. I was also relieved that Madison got smarter about the boys in her life.

Emily Mah Tippetts is the author of several books. Find out more about them on Goodreads and her Blog.

AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE

Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack

Posted by Mindy Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews

Sep 192012

Tres Leches Cupcakes

Author: Josi S. Kilpack

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published: September 10, 2012

Paperback: 384 pages

ISBN13: 9781609071707

FTC FYI: Review copy which did not effect my review

Reviewed by Mindy

Backcover summary: For Sadie Hollmiller, going undercover as an informant for the Bureau of Land Management on an archeological site in Santa Fe, New Mexico, seems like the perfect way to stay safe and busy while a threat against her life remains unsolved. Sadie’s days are spent digging up artifacts in the middle of nowhere, but she’s also digging up information on her fellow “dirt geeks.” With the help of her baking prowess and Pete’s cousin, Caro, who takes to the detective work wholeheartedly, Sadie is finding herself again.

But when recent burials are found on an ancient site, Sadie finds herself in the middle of an unexpected–and unwanted–investigation. The more she digs for the truth, the more secrets she uncovers–secrets that people would kill to keep hidden.

Before Sadie knows it, she’s arrested for starting a bar fight (which was totally not her fault), her new friend is missing, and she’s worn out her welcome in Santa Fe in more ways than one. A trip to the annual hot air balloon fiesta in Albuquerque is supposed to give her a brea, but before long, she learns that when you’re dealing with the black market antiquity trade, you’re not really safe anywhere.

My Review

What I am going to do when Josi stops writing this series? I love these books, and Tres Leches Cupcakes is no exception. I enjoyed the whole book immensely, but the last half, there was excitement on every page. When Josi throws in Sadie’s humor and inner voice, which I love, I can’t stop reading. Add a little Pete to the mix, and you’ve got yourself another awesome Sadie Hoffmiller thriller.

Sadie almost is back to her old self in this book, and I missed her. But, I did appreciate the journey that she has taken in each book, and her experiences have made her a better person. I loved reading about the things she has learned, and when she’s in situations similar to past adventures, she can get keep her head and focus. I loved everything about this book, and I can’t wait for Baked Alaska next Spring.

5 out of 5 stars. You will be on the edge of your seat, and finally able to breath again when you reach the end. I loved Pete’s cousin Caro. She was a delightful character, and a great new friend for Sadie.

Josi S. Kilpack is the author of the 6 other books in the Sadie Hoffmiller series, and several other novels. Including Daisy, from the Newport Ladies Book Club series. Find out more about Josi on her blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE / DESERET BOOK / SEAGULL BOOK

Winner of Demons by Heather Frost

Posted by Mindy Book Reviews

Sep 192012

The winner of Demons (thanks to Random.org) is

Cathy

Emails have been sent to you, please respond ASAP, or I’ll need to pick another winner. :)

Thanks to all who entered.

Paige by Annette Lyon

Posted by Mindy Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews

Sep 112012

Paige

Author: Annette Lyon

Publisher: Covenant

Published: August 2012

ISBN-13: 978-1-60861-946-7

Genre: general fiction

Paperback: 238 pages

FTC FYI: Review copy, which did not affect my review

Reviewed by Mindy

Backcover Summary: After a bitter divorce from her unfaithful husband, Paige moves from Utah to California with her two little boys and vows to make a fresh start. She finds a job at a dental practice that helps her get back on her feet, but it’s the friends she makes at her new book club who help her realize how strong she is and who give her support to carry on as she faces the challenges of being a single mom. She also meets Derryl, a wonderful, kind, attentive man who treats her right–something her ex never did. Yet, Paige struggles to figure out who she is a s woman rather than a wife, how to help her boys adjust to a broken home, and whether she can ever trust a man or love again. As Paige leans on the book club ladies and Derryl’s ever present care, one thing becomes clear: healing from the past requires more than a change of address.

My Review

Paige is another strong offering from Annette Lyon and for The Newport Ladies Book Club. From Olivia, and Daisy I was able to catch a glimpse of the woman that Paige was, and I really liked her then. Reading her own story made me appreciate her even more, and also the other ladies through Paige’s eyes. At the first book club meeting there is always the first impressions of each character. I love going back to those meetings through a different character’s view point, to see what she thought of someone that first night, and after that. It shows each of their journeys, and it helps me appreciate each character more.

Paige was hesitant to go to book club. One of my favorite quotes from her is on page 20:

For years, I’d pretty much lived in the bubble of being Doug’s wife. I hadn’t met any new friend in–I couldn’t remember how long. Since the divorce, I’d turned that bubble into a cocoon. And here I was, forcing myself out of it. Meeting new people would be good for me. I knew this on an intellectual level; however, emotionally, the idea made me want to drive right back home.

Each of the ladies from the book club came to book club for different reasons, but they seem to have one in common, to find a friend.

There are some fun things that happen to Paige, some sad, and heart wrenching. Christmas was hard for her. I was able to really see what a loving character she was during the times with her sons. She’s a great mom, and Paige finds she may need to make some difficult choices.

4 out of 5 stars. Annette is an amazing writer. She recently wrote a blog post about the series, and how each author would write their characters, or how the others gals would write it for them. I laughed a lot. Check it out. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, her blog, and The Newport Ladies Book Club. The next book in the series is Athena by Heather Moore. It comes out in November.

AMAZON / DESERET BOOK / SEAGULL BOOK

Demons by Heather Frost — Blog Tour

Posted by Mindy Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews

Sep 052012

HARDCOPY GIVEAWAY!

Demons

Author: Heather Frost

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Publish Date: September 11, 2012

ISBN13: 9781462110346

Genre: YA Fantasy

Hardcover: 432 pages

FTC FYI: Review PDF copy

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary: Kate’s life is far from normal. She can see auras, her boyfriend is immortal, and her powers make her a target. But now that the Demon Lord is hunting her, things are about to go from dangerous to truly deadly. Packed with action, mind-blowing plot twists, and characters you can’t get enough of, this is a fast-paced, heart-pounding read from cover to cover.

My Review

I was so excited when I was asked to participate in this blog tour. I really enjoyed Seers, and I was anxiously awaiting the next chapter in Kate and Patrick’s story. There is still the danger of Kate being hunted, but knowing who to trust is a big challenge. There are secrets, and many twists and turns. I really, really enjoyed how Heather took this story to many levels. Kate is a Seer, she can see auras, but there is something special about her that makes her wanted by the Demon Lord. Far Darrig is back, and he has a secret too. Toni is back too, and is still a favorite. Even in serious situations, he’s cracking the jokes. Demons gives the reader more to enjoy with Patrick’s and Kate’s relationship. There is a great mystery involving the Guardians. It is rumored that some Guardians are getting sick, and dying off. How can an immortal being die? The climax of this book is a gripping page turner, and the epilogue had me shocked, it BLEW ME AWAY.

5 out of 5 stars. I got to a point where I could not stop reading, and I’ll say it again. The ending of this book is one of the best I’ve ever read.

Read more about Heather on her website. Follow her on Facebook, and her Facebook Fan Page, and Goodreads.

Pre-order Demons at AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE

I am very pleased to announce that I will be giving away a Hardcover copy of Demons (US Only). Thank you Cedar Fort! Just leave a thoughtful comment below, and you’re entered! Good Luck. Contest ends September 12, 2012.

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