The Biscuit Witch by Deborah Smith

“‘Biscuit Witches,’ Mama called them. She’d heard the old Appalachian term as a girl. She’d inherited that talent. My mother could cast spells on total strangers simply by setting a plate of her biscuits in front of them.”

Published by Bell Bridge Books in May 2013

Pages - 130

Goodreads Summary

Welcome back to the Crossroads Cove where new loves, old feuds, and poignant mysteries will challenge siblings Tal, Gabby, and Gus MacBride to fight for the home they lost and to discover just how important their family once was, and still is, to the proud people of the Appalachian highlands. Tallulah MacBride hasn’t been back to North Carolina since their parents’ tragic deaths, twenty years ago. But now, Tal heads to cousin Delta Whittlespoon’s famous Crossroads Café in the mountains above Asheville, hoping to find a safe hiding place for her young daughter, Eve. What she finds is Cousin Delta gone, the café in a biscuit crisis, and a Scotsman, who refuses to believe she’s passing through instead of “running from.” He believes she needs a knight in shining flannel.When a pair of sinister private eyes show up, Tal’s troubles are just beginning. For Tal’s brother and sister—Gabby, the Pickle Queen, and Gus, the Kitchen Charmer—the next part of the journey will lead down forgotten roads and into beautiful but haunted legacies.

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AAARRRGGGHHH!

This book makes me crazy! Never have I loved and hated a book more and been left so desperate for the next one.

This book is oozing with Southern hospitality in the style of authors such as Fannie Flagg and Beth Hoffman.  I found myself desperate to visit the Crossroads Cafe which would definitely give the Whistlestop Cafe a run for it’s money. I fell in love with the quirky, yet vibrant characters who could easily have stepped out of Northern Exposure. The MacBride’s have dug their way into my heart and I can’t wait to find out what happens to Tal’s brother and sister in the future publications.

However I had a couple of really big issues with this book.

Firstly there was far too much information dumped in the first couple of chapters. I really didn’t need to know so much about the characters so soon into the story, especially characters who were barely featured in the story. I can understand that this book is a connected to another and the author wanted to tell us all about the characters, other readers might have already met, but it was too much for me.

Secondly, I actually felt the story could’ve started further in. There is an extremely hilarious incident with a grizzly bear in the car eating cupcakes and I’m convinced the book should’ve started there.

Lastly, it took me far too long to work out who was actually telling the story. I didn’t realise the POV was alternating between Tal and the Scottish Doctor until a quarter of the way through the book.

Having whinged and moaned about all that - I really really did love this story when I got into it. It was descriptive to the point where you mouth watered every time they mentioned food. It was exciting and fast paced at times as Tal confronts her past, to create a new future. And it was full of warmth - family and friendship bonds that no one could ever break, leaving you feeling happy and content by the end of the book.

This is the kind of book that you want to read snuggled up on the sofa in winter.

Hooked by Liz Fichera

 
 

Pages - 368

Published by Harlequin Teen in January 2013

Copy obtained via Net Galley

I believed that my ancestors lived among the stars. Whenever I struck a golf ball, sometimes the ball soared so high that I thought they could touch it.

Goodreads Summary

When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.
But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.
But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile...

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I enjoyed Hooked more than I thought I would. To be honest there is something about the cover that I find off putting. I think it might be the colour; the black and white aspect of it. Shallow I know! Luckily I read the blurb before I made my decision to read it and that literally had me hooked.

Firstly I can’t remember ever reading a YA book about golf, so hats off to the author for originality there. I was surprised how much I loved the golf aspect of the story, seeing as I have never picked up an iron in my life. One of the main characters Fred is an American Indian girl playing on an all-white, all male golf team for the school. This girl has got guts! She goes up against Seth, with his psychopathic tendencies, who hates her intensely because she took his spot on the golf team. He goes out of his way to make her life a misery. I loved Fred because she was so strong even though she wore her innocence like an extra layer of skin, she wouldn’t let them defeat her and pull her down. She continued to believe in herself.

Secondly, I loved the fact the author let us delve into the world of the American Indians.  We were privileged to be allowed access to traditions that they hold sacred. I don’t think there are enough books featuring American Indians, the only others I can remember are the Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer. I think they are such interesting and vibrant people that they should definitely feature in more YA books.

The book is told from alternative perspectives between Fred and Ryan, who is the All American boy, who gets everything he wants, delivered to him on a shiny silver platter. Yet his family is dysfunctional and he plays up against that fact. You want to hate him to begin with, but he falls so hard and so quickly for Fred, you find yourself nodding in approval at this blossoming yet fragile romance.

This book looks strongly at relationships that go against the odds. When two people come from such different backgrounds, this book shows it isn’t impossible for their relationship to work. Fred and Ryan couldn’t be more opposite to each other, yet it was lovely to see their love grow. I did struggle a little with the romance, as both characters struggled to get it right. There was a lot of will they, won’t they going on, which got a tad annoying.

This book reminded me of Pretty In Pink but with golf!

I thought this was a really good start to the series and I can’t wait to read the second book where we see Riley, Ryan’s younger sister find romance with another character already featured in this first book.

 

Wish Upon A Star by Sarah Morgan

Published by Harlequin UK in October 2011
Pages - 264

'Mum, where are we spending Christmas?'
Christy glanced up from the letter she was reading. 'I don't know. Here, I suppose with  Uncle Pete and your cousins. Why do you ask? Christmas is ages away.' And she was trying not to think about it. Christmas was a time for families and hers appeared to be disintegrating.

Goodreads
Love is in the air this Christmas! 

Christy was hoping to skip Christmas this year. Her kids have other ideas - they've put their dad's name at number one on their Christmas list. So it looks as if Christy will be hightailing it up to the Lake District to play happy families with her ex! 

Snow-capped mountains and roaring log fires - Alessandro's home is like walking into a Christmas card. Is it really safe for her to spend Christmas with her dreamy, funny - no! - entirely infuriating ex-hubby? 

Miranda has completely the opposite problem. Being single and pregnant at Christmas was certainly not her wish come true. She doesn't believe in miracles, but then resident hunk Jake sweeps her off her snow-covered shoes. Come Boxing Day dare she dream that Mr Sex-on-Legs might be for more than just Christmas? 

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This book really took me by surprise. I was desperate for a lovely festive read and fell straight away for the cover of this book when I saw it on Net Galley, so I quickly requested it. Little did I know that it was a Mills and Boon book! To be honest I was shocked. I grew up reading my nan's Mills and Boons books and although I enjoyed them they were quite a secretive read. This was mainly due to the covers, so I was quite surprised to see such a lovely cover on this book. 

I was even more flabbergasted when I realised how much I loved this book. It was a comforting yet realistic read that was just perfect for the season of goodwill. 

The book is made up of two stories which are interlinked as a secondary character in the first story becomes the major character in the next. The first story is about Christy, a mother of two who has left the marital home after falling out with her husband. This story takes us on a journey to see them reunited in time for Christmas Day. 

Christy dithers quite a bit and the miscommunication and misunderstanding of each other's feelings began to grate on my nerves a little. I wanted to sit Christy and Alessandro down for a marriage guidance session. Alessandro is a little too bullish for my liking. You get the impression that onlyhis opinion matters and I was pleased to see Christy stand up to him. I found his Alpha male attitude a bit tiring for my liking, but I warmed to him by the end of the story. Their daughter Katie was hilarious as she went out of her way to play Cupid between her parents. The things she got her brother blamed for in the name of love; poor little soul was constantly in trouble.  I wasn't always convinced by Katie's language as for an eleven year old she seemed sometimes far too mature for her age. Having two eleven year olds myself, I could never imagine them talking to me with such maturity. 

My favourite character in the book is Jake, who thankfully is one of the main characters in the  second story, Miranda. He is so sweet and loving, as well as being protective and understanding just the type of man everyone is looking for. 

To be honest, I loved the story of Miranda more than Christy's story. I loved the relationship between Jake and Miranda. How he took this pregnant unmarried mother under his wing was just beautiful, even though she fought him all the way, as she was determined to keep her independence. The second story was definitely more realistic and gritty too as it deals with teenage pregnancy and abandoned babies. Not the type of subjects I expected to find in a Mills and Boons book. 

On the whole, I really enjoyed Sarah Morgan's style of writing. I found I could believe in the characters and I whipped through both books rather quickly. I loved the way both stories were interconnected and followed on from each other. 

I would love to see more of the Mills and Boon books with new covers. I am positive they would appeal more to the modern chick lit brigade if they all looked like this one. I really enjoyed the book and think I may have found a new secret guilty pleasure in Mills and Boon books!

One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen

Pages - 235

Published by Harlequin Teen in February 2011

Book: Review copy via Net Galley kindly requested from Harlequin Teen

This book is the second in the Past Midnight Series.

I would never get used to spending Christmas in a an insane asylum. My parents laughed and said that, after seventeen years, I should have looked forward to it, but I would much rather sit in front of a roaring fire with a mug of hot chocolate listening to Christmas carols instead of this year's version of holiday cheer: roaming the barren hallways of an empty sanitarium in a quest for restless energy.

Charlotte comes from a rather infamous family who are well known as being paranormal investigators.She is just getting to a place in her life where she feels she can actually be a normal teenager. She has started a new school and made new friends who don't seem to be obsessed with her family's chosen career.   She has even got a hot date with Harris, the school football star.

Yet things don't seem to want to run smoothly for Charlotte and after Harris takes her to a party where a spooky game called One Hundred Candles is played, things start to wrong. Rather creepy and sinister events begin to occur at school, frightening everyone. Can Charlotte get to the bottom of it, without putting herself in danger.

Although this book is the second in the series, I never felt for one minute that I needed to read the first book beforehand, a huge plus in any book for me.

I love a book that can send shivers up my spine and have me constantly checking that no one is lurking behind the sofa and this one did not disappoint.  All the way through, you were just waiting for the bad things to happen and scaring yourself silly.

Charlotte is a rather feisty go getting girl who for some reason reminded me of  a cross between Nancy Drew and Velma from Scooby Doo. I think it might be her super sleuthing ways to discover the truth.  She is feisty and fearless and goes through hell with a lot of dignity.  She has no special powers to deal with the ghosts, she is just an ordinary girl with a family with an unordinary career.

The other characters didn't really stand out to me. I felt they were a little two dimensional and I would have liked to have got to know them a lot better. Avery and Noah really captured my interest but they just didn't stand out as much as Charlotte did. This may be more defined in the first book but as I haven't read it, I can't really say.

I found the action moved swiftly through the book and the build up of tension kept me reading. It is definitely one of those books you quickly get lost in and feel an urgency to find out what is going on. I thought the pacing was excellent and I found myself finishing this book in two sittings.

If you like ghost stories with a hint of mystery then this book will really appeal to your inner Nancy Drew!

There is a free ebook available here, which is a bridging novella between the first two books. If you would like to read the series from the start the first book is called Past Midnight.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

'How did it happen this time?'

Henry tensed at the sound of her voice, and he tore his eyes away from the lifeless body on the bed long enough to look at her. Diana stood in the doorway, his best friend, his confidante, his family in every way except by blood, but even her presence didn't help rein in his temper.

'Drowned', said Henry, turning back to the body. 'I found her floating in the river early this morning.'

Pages 297

Published by Harlequin Teen, an imprint of Harlequin on 26th April 2011in America. As of yet no UK release date available.

This book is the first in the Goddess series.

Book: Read via Netgalley

Kate's mother is dying. She has one last wish before she relinquishes her life; to return to her childhood home.  Kate as her soul carer, carries out her last wishes, scared that her mother may not survive the journey home.

Kate instantly becomes the new girl in a new school with no friends and family to support her and each day is a struggle. After Ava decides to play a trick on new girl Kate and everything goes wrong, Kate finds herself making a bargain with Henry who claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld.  After watching Henry bring a young girl back to life, Kate hopes that by agreeing to Henry's wishes she may be able to save her mother from death too.  Kate consents to live with Henry for six months of the year, whilst trying to pass seven trials.  Will she be able to save her mother from dying?

 This book is a modern retelling of the Greek mythical story of Persephone, who originally was kidnapped by her uncle and taken to live in the Underworld. In the original myth, Persephone was rescued but only after agreeing to spend six months of the year as Queen of the Underworld, after eating six pomegranate seeds. I found this new version of the story  to be original and refreshing in its adaption  for modern times.  

From the prologue, I was lost in the book. Straightaway, you are thrust into a beautiful story.  You finish the prologue with a head full of questions and enough temptation to continue.  You are instantly caught up in Kate's immense sadness, as she tries to squeeze more treasured moments with her dying mother, hoping  that she can keep her alive just a little bit longer.

As the story progresses, you feel Kate's every emotion as she struggles with her decision and need to keep her mother alive. She will do anything for her.  She agrees to live with Henry for six months of the year, hoping that her mother will be given extra time to live in order for her to say goodbye.

Henry may be the King of the Underworld, but he appears as nothing but gentlemanly and charming.  He reminded me immediately of Cole Turner from the Charmed Series (who was also Head of the Underworld).  He comes across as one of those wonderful male characters you can imagine effortlessly rescuing you from a burning building.

This book has a slight air of Beauty and The Beast about it, which gave it a fairytale quality.  Henry is such a feared character, yet so loving and caring to Kate. He will do anything to save her life, which is under threat from the moment she agrees to live with him.   The whole story is just beautiful written and delightfully charming. 

As you get pulled more and more into the story, you are filled with shocks and surprises as the plot thickens. However, by the end of the book, I was left with such a warm feeling of contentedness and completeness, as Kate's world changed forever. I find that I want to tell you so much, yet I have to stay really quiet for fear of giving away any of the plot.

I  adored this book and read it in two settings. Even though the book is the first part of a series,this story is complete, there is nothing left floating around to leave you pondering. You can put it down content that all the loose ends have been tied up.

My only niggle with this book is the title.  It appears too clunky to me. For some reason, I feel such a beautiful book should just be called 'Goddess' and nothing else,  the word 'test' instantly makes me think of school and the trials she faces are so much more than that.. 

Other than that, I loved it completely and was happy to be lost in Kate's world for a few hours. This is definitely one of those books, you want to keep.  Now I will sit here waiting rather impatiently for the second book in the series. 

If you would like to know more about Aimee Carter then please click here to visit her website.

The second book in the series called Goddess Interrupted comes out in America in February 2012.