My Love Lies Bleeding (AKA Hearts at Stake) by Alyxandra Harvey

From Amazon: The Drake's are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer.

I had no expectations for this novel whatsoever and I will admit I bought it on a whim. I am so glad I did. It was so much fun that I read it in one sitting. I loved the dual narrative and as I’ve said in previous reviews this has fast become one of my favourite styles of writing. Here it is done really well as Lucy and Solange feel like distinct characters and it would be obvious who is narrating even if it was not indicated at the beginning of each chapter. Lucy is an awesome character – so much wit and sass – and I loved her interactions with the Drake family. Solange is also very likable as someone stuck in the middle of an ancient prophecy that she doesn’t want. And Nicholas is HOT! For me the romantic parts of the story are the books strength, although the action was great too.

I’ve read some negative reviews for this – some have sited not enough depth or a contrived plot – but if this is the case it didn’t bother me at all. My only quibble would be the ending felt too abrupt. I would have like a bit more closure but I expect this is due to there being a sequel later in the year.

As you’ve probably guessed I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to readers who fancy a quick read . I would describe it as a chick-lit paranormal romance that kicks some butt! I loved the world and characters and look forward to spending more time with the Drakes in future instalments. Especially if there is more Nicholas:)

100+ Followers Contest

This Contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered.

I've reached over 100 followers which is amazing! So a big Thank You to everyone who is following me and to everyone who leaves comments on my posts. It is really appreciated:)

I've wanted to hold a contest for a while now and have finally got my act together to organise one! I want to make this international so I have come up with the following plan (inspired by Krisit @ The Story Siren who hosted a similar contest last year).

The winner of the contest will have £30 to spend on a shopping spree.

Depending on where you live you can spend this at:

The Book Depository (International entrants - free shipping to these countries. I'm hoping this covers everyone but if your country is not listed please email me so we can sort something out).

or

Amazon.co.uk (UK entrants only - but if you are entering from the UK and would prefer to shop at The Book Depository you can do so).

You need to know which books you would like so you can list them on the entry form.

You can get extra entries for the following:

Already a follower (+5)

Become a new follower (+1)

Add a side bar link to your blog (+1)

Tweet about the contest (+1)

Post about the contest on your blog (+5)


Closing date is 25 January 2010. The winner will be chosen randomly and I will notify you via email. You will need to respond within 48 hours or I will have to contact a new winner.

Good luck:)

PRIVACY POLICY:
Any details given are only used as a contact method for the prize winner. Once the contest is over all information is deleted. Please do not leave any contact details in the comments section or I will have to delete it.

If you are under 13 years of age you need to make sure a parent or guardian is aware you are entering the contest. You will only be asked for an address if you are the winner. The only information you need to provide on the entry form is a first name/nickname and a contact email (for your parent/guardian) that I can use to notify you if you win as a parent or guardian will need to confirm and provide your address details. Obviously I have no way of knowing your age so I'm asking for you to be honest about this.

Review Ratings - Good or Bad?

I've noticed a number bloggers are no longer rating their reviews anymore. What are peoples views on this?

For me any rating with a 3 star or higher is good - it means I enjoyed the book and would buy more from that author. I think I have been lucky this year as I have only read one book I didn't particularly like but even then I would have given the book 3 stars as I thought it was really well written - I just hated the character with a passion!

When reading other peoples reviews I find a star rating gives me a overall feeling for what they thought of the book - something I can't always tell from the review itself. I often find myself surprised by a low rating after reading what seems to be a great review or vice versa. So I don't know if this is good or bad. Does the star rating distract from the review itself? Do I rely on it too much?

I've been thinking about this for the last couple of days since seeing some of the New Year Resolutions posts. Initially my thoughts were definitely for the star rating system but now I'm questioning myself so I'd love some input:)

UPDATE: I have decided to stick to my star rating for now - it seems the general consensus is that people like a rating system of some kind and at the moment this one works for me. Thank you all for your input on this - it was such a great response and it was really interesting to read your opinions:)

Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita

From Amazon: What if? Your picture was taped inside teenage boys' lockers across America, your closets were bursting with never-worn designer clothing, and the tabloids constantly asked whether you were losing your 'good girl' status? It's a glamorous life, but 16-year-old Kaitlin Burke, co-star of one of the hottest shows on TV, is exhausted from the pressures of her fame. So she decides to spend two months undercover as an ordinary high school student. But could it be that real life high school is just as harsh as cutthroat Hollywood?

I found this good fun to read. It is definitely a light hearted read but really sweet and enjoyable. I liked the central character Kaitlin and understood her need for a ‘normal’ life – and it was interesting watching her try to have it! Sky Mackenzie is great fun as the competitive co-star that is always causing trouble – I look forward to more of her in future instalments. I also really enjoyed the romance part of the story - very sweet if a tad predictable.

Jen Calonita has a really easy style of writing that I think fans of Meg Cabot would enjoy. I will certainly be reading the rest in the series. Overall this is a fun take on what life as a celebrity is like.

In my mailbox (21)

In my mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

I just bought the one:

Between Two Seas by Marie-Louise Jensen

From Amazon: 'Travel to Skagen and find him. Give him my letter. Seek a better life, Marianne! Promise!' Bound by a vow made to her dying mother, Marianne sells her few belongings and leaves Grimsby. Her destination? Denmark, where she will search for her father, Lars Christensen-the golden-haired fisherman her mother fell in love with many years before. The journey will be long-and dangerous for a young girl travelling alone. As Marianne boards the fishing boat that will carry her across the North Sea, she wonders: will Denmark be the fairy-tale land she has dreamt of? Will she find happiness there? Will the father she has never met welcome the arrival of his illegitimate child? And why didn't he return for her mother, as he promised he would?

I really enjoyed The Lady in the Tower so I am looking forward to reading this:)

Hope you all had a great week:)