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Lauryn's Read Books
3.5 Stars. A Fast-Paced YA Paranormal Novel with a Solid Plot. Spark of Fire by Grace Anthony is a fun YA read about reapers and shifters. Anthony has created a mythology that is familiar and brand new at the same time. Her main characte...
Snatch Girl is a fast-paced and intense thrill ride, but I was unable to get past the romanticized abuse that runs rampant throughout the story. [Read more of Lauryn's Reviews at http://laurynapril.blogspot.com/] This book is very gra...
4.5 Stars. Sherlock Holmes meets Dracula with Time Travel. Set a number of years after That Scoundrel Emile Dubois and the stand-alone Ravensdale, Where Worlds Meet opens with our characters from both novels living in their happily ever ...
V for Vendetta meets Buffy. Veiled is a gritty crime drama with vampires that looks at the politics of a world aware of the undead deciding whether or not to allow them to integrate into society. Filled with witty dialogue and a fast-pac...
3.75 Stars. Like the Boardgame "Clue" on the Ocean. I don't read a lot of murder mysteries, and I have read better ones, but this was good. It opens with a suspenseful scene and I really liked the ending. I just wish I'd connected with t...
Slow Start to what I've Heard is a Great Series. I've been a Stephen King fan for a long time, and I went into reading The Gunslinger knowing (from other readers) that book one sets up the series and is a little bit lackluster in compari...
Wished it was Darker. I loved the concept of this book. It was quirky and interesting. Violet has a special ability that helps her find dead bodies. And, when girls her age start getting murdered in her hometown, she's in a peculiar situ...
3.5 Stars. Well written, but wanted more suspense. The pacing of this book is rather slow and it goes over a lot of the day to day lives of three Moms and their kindergarten-age children. The mystery was interesting. The book opens with ...
4.5 Stars. Even knowing what would happen next, I was hooked on every word. The Lux series is one of my favorites and being able to revisit the first three books through Daemon’s POV was a great way to read Katy and Daemon’s story in a n...
4.5 Stars.Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls. Before I Fall was both hilarious in parts and painfully serious in others. I loved and hated this book at the same time. It was beautiful and utterly heartbreaking all at once. I loved watching S...
An excellent, twisted mystery. This book blew me away. It starts out as a murder mystery, then becomes so much more. There are a lot of little clues and red herrings along the way, leading you through an excellent mystery. The writing wa...
3.5 Stars. Fascinating and new twist on an old myth. I loved the concept of this book. It mixed ancient Greek mythology with reincarnation and looked at the Greek gods more as immortal people than actual gods. I also liked that it explai...
The writing was beautiful and the plot was both interesting and engaging. But, this book left me feeling underwhelmed. Ethereal moves at a fast pace, but at times it’s too fast. Problems develop quickly but are also solved quickly result...
3.5 Stars. Well written plot, but wanted more Persephone and Hades. This book was different from the first two because it’s not just told through Persephone’s POV, but alternates with Hades and Aphrodite’s POV. While I loved reading part...
Well written plot and characters. I wanted to see more of Hades and Persephone’s relationship. But, the parts we do see are awesome. Their excursion to the beach at the beginning of the book was great, and the scene where Persephone [spo...
A great take on a classic myth with a modern twist. The author did a great job of keeping all the classic story elements of the Persephone myth but still made the story feel modern and new. I liked that she used the story of Boreas to se...
4 Stars. Sucked me back into a story I loved with a new perspective. I loved reading this because it allowed me to revisit one of my favorite books, Sweet Evil, but still felt new at the same time. Sweet Temptation is the Sweet Evil tril...
4.5 Stars. One of the most unique storylines I’ve read in a long time. There were some really twisted things that happened to the main character in this book, and though they were awful I enjoyed every second of watching her overcome the...
2.5 Stars. The ending of this book ruined it. After reading The Goddess Test I was eager to see Kate learn to be a goddess. I wanted to see her take on new responsibilities and for her relationship with Henry to develop. But, I didn’t ge...
A fun read, but not enough action and too little relationship development. I loved Kate in the beginning of this book. She was a tough young woman dealing with the responsibility of caring for her dying mother. She was so strong, but as ...
3.5 Stars. I didn’t like this book as much as the first one, but having read the third book I can definitely say it’s worth reading Unravel Me to finish the series. This story takes a different turn in this book. Shatter Me felt more dys...
4.5 Stars. This series blew me away. What I loved most was the growth Juliette’s character went through from the first book to the last. In Shatter Me there was a lot of description, especially in the first two chapters. The writing was ...
I couldn’t put this down. Cass sucked me in just like she did with the first two books. As usual there’s some beautiful imagery, some interesting tasks for the contestants to compete in, and a wonderful love story. Read more of my revie...
3.5 Stars. I enjoyed the dark imagery and scary moments of this book. There were also some interesting philosophical questions that the book raised about religion and being open minded, which I liked. And, most of all I enjoyed seeing De...
I found this book well written and filled with beautiful imagery. It was darker than most YA I’ve read, but in a way that fit the story. It has some truly dark dystopian elements that wouldn’t have worked if they’d been taken more lighth...
I love stories about vampires and Captured had some new ideas that were interesting. I liked that this book had a dystopian feel to it. These characters lived in a world ruled by vampires with humans either living as servants, slaves or...
4.5 Stars. Living Dead in Dallas, like Dead until Dark is a fast paced story with an action packed plot. New supernatural creatures and elements are introduced in this book, many of them much scarier than vampires. However, like the firs...
4.5 Stars. The funny moments give this book bit of a chick-lit feel, but the vampires are real vampires, and written in a way that you can believe they exist in our world. I liked the level of believability Charlaine Harris achieved. T...
4.5 Stars. All the things I wanted to see happen in this book happened, and it wrapped up the story well. Once again I felt Higgins did a good job balancing the religious aspects of this story with the rest of the plot and I was left wit...
As a huge fan of the paranormal I was looking to dive into a vampire novel and Halfway to the Grave did not disappoint. It had scary vampires as well as other frightening creatures and an action packed plot. There were a few places wher...
I picked this one up after having read “That Scoundrel Emile Dubois” as the two books are somewhat connected. There weren’t any vampires in this book, but I still enjoyed the writing style and the few mentioning’s of Emile. I don’t tend ...
This book has easily become one of my new favorites. It’s filled with mystery and danger, but at its core it’s a story about forbidden love. The relationship between Anna and Kaidan will take you on an emotional roller-coaster as they bo...
2.5 Stars. I’ve always stood by the idea that a good story will make up for any possible flaws in its construction. That the story is more important than the writing, and I still believe that, but this story in particular shows just how ...
3.75 Stars. I really loved the characters in this book. Ana was easy to relate to, and Zig was a lot of fun. He was snarky and witty and I loved every scene he was in. Everyone felt like they had their own individual personality and were...
I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with this book. Ksenia Anske definitely has some talent. She can write beautifully descriptive scenes, and has created unique characters with a storyline that felt new and different. However, t...
This series has sucked me in and I’ve loved each book more than the last. Origin was no exception. I was really curious about how this story was going to play out after Katie was caught by Daedalus at the end of Opal. With her locked up ...
This is the second book in the Boring Life Series. I loved the first book in this series, but it left me feeling a little wanting. This book however picked up right where it needed to and filled in all of those lingering questions. This ...
3.75 Stars. While I’m loving this series and plan to continue with it, this book didn’t have quite the fast pace that the first three did. The way these stories create this never ending link makes them feel like a TV show where each epis...
This book kept me guessing from beginning to end. It’s filled with fun dialogue, and lots of laughs. I fell in love with the characters on the very first page, by the end of the second chapter I was getting sucked it, and once Key’s birt...
As the third book in the Morganville Vampire's series, this is my favorite book so far. I liked the way I was reminded of little hints from the first two books when something was revealed. Like "the trap-door spider". You can really see...
This book starts right where Glass Houses ends and once I finished it, it felt like these two books could easily be read as one story. I enjoyed the first book more, but was still happy to read this one. I couldn’t put this down. It’s f...
4.5 stars. I am hooked on this series. Glass Houses was filled with lots of fun imagery, interesting characters, and twists I didn’t see coming. Rachel Caine does a wonderful job making Morganville feel like a real place, freaky happenin...
4.5 Stars. This book took a little while to suck me in, but when it did I discovered a really intriguing storyline and wonderful characters. Paulson takes a few chapters to set up this story, but once Ellie gets to Norway things start to...
I absolutely loved The Selection and The Elite had me hooked just as much as the first book. It was a wonderful mix of fantasy and dystopian concepts. America is a really tough character but she gets scared of what the end of the select...
4.5 Stars. I have loved this series from the very beginning and this book did a nice job of wrapping it up in a satisfying way. I could also tell that Samantha’s writing has grown in some wonderful ways which made the experience of readi...
The beginning of this book sucked me in with a creepy hook, but it was the ending that made me love it. This is a very different story from the usual YA’s I like to read. It’s about something deeper and more real than what paranormal rom...
The best way for me to describe The Selection is that it’s “The Hunger Games” meets “The Bachelor”, and I think if you enjoyed either of those then you would like this book. It has the same wonderful dystopian concepts seen in “The Hunge...
Not only is this a zombie version of Romeo and Juliet, but it’s told through the zombie’s point of view. I had to pick this up, and it really is an interesting read. However the humor in the book is a little drier than what I’m expecting...
This book started out interesting and had me completely hooked through the middle. It had well written characters and the storyline about two best friends who realize at the end of the world that they’re in love with one another was what...
3.75 Stars. I really liked how this book started out; it pulled me in and introduced me to a main character that was really different from most other characters I’ve been reading about in YA fiction. Dez is a strong lead and she breaks t...
I don't read a lot of contemporary, but the mystery in this story had me hanging on edge just as much as the paranormal and suspense books I read. This is a deeply layered story. And, even though it's a historical piece set in Argentina ...
I loved Katy and Daemon’s relationship in this book, and the development of all the characters was fabulous. Everyone has grown and changed since the last book. This is a series that hooked me from the very first book and I can’t wait fo...
I liked this book, just not quite as much as the first one. It had an interesting story line and I loved the characters, but the plot just didn’t draw me in like the first book did. I kind of saw the ending coming and while there were st...
4.5 Stars. I loved these characters from the very beginning; Kaylee, Emma and Nash are all very real and I wanted to know more about them. However, I did wish there had been a little more of Emma considering she was Kaylee's best friend,...
4.5 Stars. This prequel to Obsidian was a great piece offering some backstory to the Lux series. It really helps you to understand all these characters that Katy meets in Obsidian, and why they react to her the way they do. I liked that ...
This was a great sequel, picking up the story shortly after where Obsidian left off, and it left me wanting to read more. In Onyx Katy learns that she has more than just Arum to worry about. The government has their eyes on the Luxen at ...
I loved every second of this book. Normally I’m not interested in anything alien related, but I gave this alien love story a go and I’m so glad I did. Before you let your mind dive too far into the realm of scifi you need to know that th...
3.75 Stars. This book started out strong and ended strong. It’s much more grown up than the first book and I loved the way Alexis’s character had developed between Promise and Purpose. She’s a little broken, and very real. Where I had so...
4.5 Stars. This book opens with a lot of action, and it really sucked me in. I did feel a little like the very first scene of this book was a little disjointed from the rest of it; but, after reading the second book in this series it mak...
3.5 Stars. When I started reading this book, I love it. It had action, fantasy and mystery. It’s set in a medieval like setting and had a fairly original concept dealing with its “graced” characters, or characters with special enhanced a...
My first impression of this book was that it was Sherlock Holmes meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It's a mystery that you, the reader will be piecing together as you go. Lucinda Elliot opens up with a prologue that will have you wondering ...
Lauren Oliver has a wonderful way with words. Her characters in Delirium were deep and well developed and I enjoyed watching them, particularly Lena, grow and learn and change. She creates a deep and fascinating world that looks at how d...
3.5 stars. Beautiful imagery sucked me into the beginning of this book. Leighton describes Carson and the scene around her in a way that really makes you feel like you’re there. The story also moves along at a nice pace and leaves enough...
4.5 Stars. I have fallen in love with this series. The story is truly enthralling, and this book is by far the best of the three. As with the first two books it’s Samantha Young’s characters that have sucked me in to this story. They are...
This was a very entertaining and funny read. Janet Evanovich has a wonderfully witty writing style that gives Stephanie Plum a sassy but also honest voice. Divorcee and jobless Stephanie has been selling off her furniture and appliances ...
First Grave on the Right is a great read that will have you laughing from the very first page. Darynda Jones has wonderfully witty dialogue which really makes her characters come to life, and some of her one liners and shorter conversati...
4.5 Stars. Smokeless Fire caught my eye with its unique storyline. This book sucked me in with its heat. I think my favorite thing about it was watching Jai fall for Ari. You learn so much about him in this book and find that he has a lo...
This book has a lot of mystery to it. As Helen struggles with being stuck on earth as a spirit or Light she will have you pondering questions about life, the afterlife and the meaning of it all. More so though, the book looks at grief an...
These books sucked me in and went straight to my heart, I felt for Katniss dearly and was engrossed in her struggles; however this book left me shattered. I suppose what left me a little disappointed with the end of Mockingjay was that ...
A worthwhile read. You will find Sunny deep and fascinating. She's well written, as is the entire book, and very real. I found myself able to relate to her completely. The book starts out in the present tense but quickly shifts to the pa...
Smokeless Fire is a wonderfully entertaining story. I was somewhat disappointed with the way some of the language flowed. Overuse of words like `douchebag' and `sooo' or punctuation that reminded me of a text message like `!?' made this ...
In the first book of this series I got sucked in with the rest of Panem in the tragic love story of Katniss and Peeta, but by the third book, Mockingjay you find that this series truly is not a love story. It is about the horrors of war ...
3.5 Stars. What made Lord of Misrule really interesting was getting to see Morganville flipped upside-down. In this book Monica is no longer at the top, she's at the bottom and everything is backwards from how it was in the first book - ...
This book had an interesting concept, one that despite its comparisons to "The Hunger Games," which it was nothing like, I found to be original. Veronica Rossi has created two futuristic worlds in this book both showing opposite ways the...
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