Review: Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

A royal prince. An ordinary girl. An extraordinary royal wedding.

MY TAKE:
The blurb for this book was pretty intriguing, if not quite short.

In Once Upon A Prince, Susannah has been dumped by her boyfriend of 12 years. Surprisingly, she's not as sad as she expects. Soon after the breakup, she meets Nate. Nate is sweet and charming, but who is he really?

I had really high hopes for this book. I guess my expectations were a little high because I didn't enjoy the book as much as I thought I would.

The first chapter was pretty strong, and the last part of the book was okay. The problem with the kingdom of Brighton and Hessen was a good plot point, and the use of slang and words made it easier to imagine them being said in their appropriate accents.

However, personally, some of the dialogue and narrative felt a little cheesy and treacly sweet. Nate also didn't feel all that realistic to me. By that, I mean, he was more like an ideal than an actual person.

There were elements in the book that reminded me of Princess Diaries 2, as well as The Prince and Me (a Julia Stiles movie). If you've never seen The Prince and Me, what happens is a prince from Denmark heads to an American university in an attempt to clear his head. There he goes by an alias and doesn't reveal to his love interest that he really is a prince. The ending is also similar in a way, if you mesh it with Princess Diaries 2, but not so much so that they're identical or that the book feels derivative. Think of it as an adult, Christian version of a mashup of the two movies.

Thanks to NetGalley and Zondervan for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. It's easy to imagine the characters speaking.
2. There are some good plot points.
3. You can tell that a lot of effort went into research and making sure there are no plot holes.

THE BAD:

1. Some may find some of the lines a little too sweet or cheesy. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"Wow? I get a blessing out and Prince William gets a wow?"

READ IT IF:

1. You like princes who are charming and devoted to the word of God.
2. You like characters who acknowledge the role God plays in their lives.
3. You believe in destiny. 

RATING:


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Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This is what freedom from fear did. Opened up a girl's heart.

Review: Rich Kids of Instagram A Novel by The Creator of Rich Kids of Instagram, Maya Sloan

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Based on the wildly popular blog “Rich Kids of Instagram,” a dishy and hilarious novel about the intersecting lives of the world’s most extravagant, unapologetically uber-rich teenagers.
The “Rich Kids of Instagram” are not your typical well-to-do brats. These “kids” drive Ferraris, fly to their weekend getaways in private jets, and post self-indulgent photos of themselves online as frequently—and as wantonly—as they blow wads of cash. Not to mention that they’re more involved in sex, drugs, and power plays than most people twice their age.
Drawing from the ten most frequent contributors to the popular blog of the same name—which receives an average of 850,000 unique visitors a month and has been featured on 20/20, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, The Atlantic, Buzzfeed, Gawker, and others—Rich Kids of Instagram revolves around a core group of spoiled young people, from a Southern Belle poultry-empire heiress to a media mogul’s driven daughter and an old-money rifle heir with a Mayflower legacy; to a nouveau riche outsider who is thrust into the members-only universe of the .1%, with scandalous results.
In a world that is smaller, more connected, and more competitive than ever, where nothing is off limits, some kids are just trying to make a buck—or ten thousand. Prepare to be wowed by this saucy, compulsively readable book about the hilarious display of extravagant wealth and the teenagers who have fallen into it.

MY TAKE:

Some rich kids just can't seem to be grateful for what they've been given.

In Rich Kids of Instagram, readers follow the lives of several New York rich kids as they chase their dreams and maybe screw other people's dreams up in the process.

Except for two chapters (one in the beginning and another before the epilogue), the chapters are told from the point-of-view of different characters in the book. The two aforementioned chapters felt a little bit like Gossip Girl for the older crowd. The novel itself, especially the last chapter, on the other hand, had a Gossip Girl-meets-The-Great-Gatsby-but-with-a-happier-ending vibe.

The characters were wild, to say the least. The only character I would even consider saying as friend material is Phillip, but he's the type that might be annoying after awhile because his New Age comments are not always helpful or comforting.

The two characters I sort of liked were Annalise and Cordelia. At first, I didn't like Annalise because she was too Stepford-ish to me. I did, however, grew to like her when she was in revenge mode. Cordelia, on the other hand, just really made me laugh. She was cunning and a real Southern Belle, albeit a Type A one.

The guys, on the other hand, were mostly jerks. I did like how the book ended with Todd Evergreen. The ending itself was pretty good, too, if only because it shows how it usually is in life, that rich kids can turn bad publicity into opportunities.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the e-ARC. Publication date of Rich Kids of Instagram: A Novel is on July 8, 2014.

THE GOOD:

1. It's a peek at the wild lives of rich kids.
2. The characters are not in the least bit perfect.
3. It's fun to imagine yourself with these kids' stuff.

THE BAD:

1. It's not easy to root for most of them. 

READ IT IF:

1. You like reading the Rich Kids of Instagram website.
2. You like Gossip Girl.
3. You dream of having it all. 

RATING:


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In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

FROM NETGALLEY:

WARP Book 2: The Hangman's Revolution by Eoin Colfer
The Beast Within A Tale of Beauty's Prince by Serena Valentino
Lockwood & Co., Book 2 The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud

Review: Model Undercover: Paris by Carina Axelsson

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Nancy Drew meets The Devil Wears Prada in the debut of this action-packed mystery series
Axelle Andersen wants nothing more than to be a teen-sleuth despite the influence of her pushy fashionista aunt,Venetia. So when top fashion designer Belle La Lune goes missing, and Aunt Venetia becomes a prime suspect, Axelle must go undercover as a model during Paris Fashion Week to uncover the truth behind Belle's disappearance and clear her aunt's name. She's thrust into a frenetic world of castings, photo shoots, and sequins, while struggling to fit in and track down clues. Can Axelle solve a kidnapping and survive the world of fashion?

MY TAKE:
I was only semi-sold at the start of the book, but I'm glad I finished the entire thing.

In Model Undercover: Paris, Axelle wants more than anything to be a detective. However, after getting too nosy and embarrassing her mother, her parents decide to send her to Paris to shadow her famous magazine editor aunt. Before long, she is thrust into the fashion world wherein she finds that things aren't always what they seem.

Even though I'm not really a fashionable person, I like watching shows like America's Next Top Model. Mostly it's for the pictures, but I enjoy seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff too. This book was sort of like that, but you learn a bit more, especially about what exactly it is that makes models say that their job isn't all that easy.

The mystery itself was interesting. There were plenty of red herrings along the way, and I was on the right path with some of the clues, though I only got the correct conclusion around the time that Axelle did.

This book would make a very good television series. Since the book is quite long, in order to fit all the important scenes, they may have to make one book into several episodes. I'm thinking it could either be a series on the younger Axelle, to be shown on the Disney Channel, or a slightly older Axelle and they could put it on CW.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for the e-ARC. Publication date of Model Undercover: Paris is on July 1, 2014.

THE GOOD:

1. It's a fun read.
2. The mystery isn't so easy to solve.
3. You learn a lot about modeling.

THE BAD:

1. The book starts off a little weak. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

It was served with rice and vegetables, and for dessert, she'd made me my favorite - ile flottante: mountains of fluffy, sweetened egg whites floating in a bowl full of the palest, creamiest vanilla sauce. 

READ IT IF:

1. You like fashion.
2. You like mysteries.
3. You like Paris. 

RATING:


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Review: Buzz Books 2014: Young Adult by Publishers Lunch

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

This inaugural edition of Buzz Books: Young Adult provides substantial pre-publication excerpts from more than 20 forthcoming young adult and middle grade books. Now everyone can share the same access to the newest YA voices the publishing industry is broadcasting for the fall/winter season. At the end of most excerpts, you will find a link to the full galley on NetGalley!
Excerpts include new work from established giants of the field (Ellen Hopkins; Garth Nix; Scott Westerfeld), authors best-known for their adult books (Carl Hiaasen; Michael Perry; Ben Tripp; Meg Wolitzer), and genuine newsmakers—including the first of James Frey’s attention-getting Endgame trilogy, which will include interactive elements developed in association with Google’s Niantic Labs.
You will find a full range of YA titles previewed here —dystopian, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, humor, literary and more — and you will even find some works for tweens and middle-grade readers (Vivian Apple and the End of the World, Zoo at the Edge of the World, and The Rogue Knight. As always, many are sure to make bestseller and “best of” lists.
We’re especially proud to announce that two of our titles will be featured at this year’s Book Expo America convention on their own YA Editors Buzz panels: Frank Portman’s King Dork Approximately, and Robin Talley’s debut Lies We Tell Ourselves. In addition, a grand total of 15 out of our 21 Buzz Books: Young Adult authors will be in attendance at BEA.
In addition to the excerpts, there’s a great round-up from Publishers Lunch of dozens of noteworthy fall/winter YA books to add to your must-have list.
Start reading some of the best future books right now, and then share the fun by telling your friends and family to download this free edition of Buzz Books for themselves at any major ebookstore or at buzz.publishersmarketplace.com.

MY TAKE:
I decided to request this book after requesting the Buzz Books Fall/Winter one.

Buzz Books 2014: Young Adult features excerpts from upcoming YA selections.

As with the other Buzz Books 2014 sampler, a number of the excerpts were just okay for me, with a few excerpts standing out.

I read the summary of Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick and thought that it would not be my cup of tea. As it turns out, the book was much more interesting than I thought it would be. I hope the later chapters are as good as the first ones.

Endgame by James Frey also intrigued me. It's a little bit of Hunger Games mixed with 39 Clues.

Another notable standout was I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. The full version of the book alternates between the point-of-view of two characters, Jude and Noah. The excerpt only has Noah's point-of-view. That was fine by me because I found Noah to be totally engaging.

The only book I was able to download/request was Vivian Apple at the End of the World, because the other books I liked were only available to US NetGalley members. Vivian Apple feels like it could turn into a pretty dark book, but what I've read was enough to keep me interested and curious to find out what happens to Vivian and her friend.

One other book I liked was Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield. It alternates between the contents of a book and the life of the author so it might get a little disorienting, but I really liked reading the chapter that was supposed to come from the author's novel. It was pretty realistic and the writing style was poetic without getting too flowery and complicated.


Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher's Lunch for the e-copy.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

She used to say it like she was opening a door for him to walk through, not closing one in his face.

RATING:

Review: Buzz Books 2014: Fall/Winter by Publishers Lunch

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

BEA In A Book
More than 30 books for adults only are included in our fifth edition of Buzz Books, as we spin off young adults in a separate volume. We offer all the excitement of Book Expo America by sharing substantial pre-publication excerpts from forthcoming books of note. Now everyone has the same access to the newest voices the publishing industry is broadcasting for the fall/winter season. At the end of most excerpts, you will find a link to the full galley on NetGalley!
Highly-anticipated debuts include multi-generational family epic We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas, featured on the Book Expo America “buzz books” editors panel alongside another highly touted debut set for publication in over 30 countries, Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist. We have Nayomi Munaweera’s novel longlisted for the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize, Island of a Thousand Mirrors, and Audrey Magee’s The Undertaking, already shortlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize in Fiction.
Well-established authors such as Tana French, Marlon James, John Scalzi and W. Bruce Cameron are represented, and we include excerpts from the last books in two hugely popular series by from Lev Grossman and Deborah Harkness.
Our largest selection yet of new nonfiction is jammed with celebrities—Alan Cummings, Billy Idol, and Neil Patrick Harris—as well as investment star, PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. And there are penetrating real-life stories, from Pulitzer-winning journalist Matt Richtel on the darker side of what our technology is doing to us, and Morten Storm’s personal journey inside al Qaeda and the CIA.
In addition to the excerpts, there’s a comprehensive round-up from Publishers Lunch of dozens of noteworthy fall/winter books to add to your must-have list.
Start reading some of the best future books right now, and invite your friends and book groups to download their own free copy of the ebook from any major ebookstore or at buzz.publishersmarketplace.com.

MY TAKE:
I almost didn't request this book because I don't like starting good books then not being able to finish them, but I couldn't resist when I saw that there was an excerpt from Neil Patrick Harris' book.

Buzz Books 2014: Fall/Winter contains excerpts from some upcoming fiction and non-fiction books.

With these kinds of books, there's something for everyone, and most likely, not everything will be to your liking. There were some books that were not my style at all so after reading through the first few pages, I skipped ahead to the next one.

There were a few books that I found interesting, though. I thought Lock In by John Scalzi had promise, but it wasn't something I'd read. I think it would make a great TV show, however, and I'd probably watch that if it were on the air.

Agent Storm: My Life Inside Al Qaeda and the CIA by Morten Storm was a pretty fascinating look into the world of jihadis. I did wonder, though, if Morten Storm was still in active duty because the things he discussed in the book were pretty sensitive stuff that militants might not want people to know.

I wasn't disappointed with Neil Patrick Harris' Choose Your Autobiography. I thought it was quite creative of him to turn a pretty straightforward biography format into something fun. As you would expect, the entries are clever and hilarious. However, since the stories are presented in segments, the presentation of stories isn't always linear so some people might get confused.

Out of all the books in this sampler, the one I was intrigued the most by was The Magician's Land. I haven't read the other books in the series, but it was easy for me to follow along. The book reminds me a little bit of the 2009 movie Push, starring Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning, but with magic instead of superpowers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Publishers Lunch for the e-copy.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Sure, you'll stop by. It's Peyton F'ing Manning. (The "F" is for football.)

RATING: