My Favorite Mistake (The A Circuit) by Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine Hapka

Title: My Favorite Mistake (The A Circuit #2)

Author: Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine Hapka

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
My Copy: finished copy from publicist

Summary:

Tommi, Zara, and Kate are all elite riders on the A Circuit. Tommi, the billionaire heiress, is training a young horse to prove she can make horses a real career. But when her new beau, Alex, convinces her to skip a horse show to party in the Hamptons, the results could be disastrous. Zara, the celebutante wild child, is finally taking her riding seriously. Until the new "nanny" her dad hires threatens to upstage Zara's party girl status. Then there's Kate. She doesn't have money to burn like the others, but she does have Fitz, the barn's resident hot guy. But when the pressure of being a working student builds, Kate's perfectionist tendencies threaten to get in the way of her relationship and her riding.

Readers who are growing out of the Canterwood Crest series or searching for an A-list fix have found just what they're looking for in the A Circuit series.

My Thoughts: The A Circuit series is officially my guilty pleasure series. While I enjoyed the first novel in the series, I enjoyed My Favorite Mistake much more. The authors truly hit their groove with this one, creating a novel that is fun and enjoyable while also hitting upon some tougher subjects.

I love this series because it plays into all the dreams I had when I was 12 – to ride horses competitively and spend almost every minute living and breathing horses. What I love even more is that while I don't really have any experience riding horses at all, let alone in such a competitive circuit, I am still able to relate to the characters. So while this is aimed at horse-lovers, I think others will be able to enjoy it too.

The one thing that bothered me the most about the first book was the drinking and other things “just because”. And while those things still happen in My Favorite Mistake, I felt they were handled so much better. A few other topics, like eating disorders, are also touched upon and while this is far from an “issue” book, I was glad to see these things brought up. I am looking forward to Book 3 where we hopefully get to see the characters go a little more in-depth with some things.

Overall, I definitely recommend this to readers who have grown out of the Canterwood Crest/Thoroughbred/Saddle Club age range. While I don't think it's appropriate for younger teens, I think that anyone 15+ (or even 14+) will love this one. Can't wait for Book 3!

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Title: Tempest Rising

Author: Tracy Deebs

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Summary:

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

My Thoughts:

Tempest Rising is a fantastic and original addition to the paranormal market. Deebs created a world and story that is believable and magical at the same time.

I was expecting a semi-cliche mermaid romance but Tempest Rising is far from that. It was nice to read about a character that KNOWS about mermaids, rather than spending half of a novel waiting for her to figure it out. Because of that, more of the novel was spent on developing the world and I loved that. The setting was easily my favorite thing about the novel. Deebs did so well at describing everything clearly without overdescribing and I really felt transported into the world.

I also loved that there was a love triangle where both of the guys were decent. There was no tall, dark, and broody boy in this story, which was a nice change. The romance doesn't overtake the story but it adds nicely to it.

Deebs took this story to places that I did not expect it to go. There were a few moments where I went "No, that won't actually be real" but then it WAS. I love when novels surprise me like that!

Overall, I really enjoyed Tempest Rising and I highly recommend it. I am hoping for a sequel sometime soon!

The A Circuit by Catherine Hapka and Georgina Bloomberg

Title: The A Circuit

Author: Catherine Hapka and Georgina Bloomberg

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Summary:
The A Circuit is the top of the top when it comes to horse shows. It's a world with its own rules and superprivileged lifestyles. Teens travel the circuit all year, showing horses that cost as much as some homes.

Tommi, Kate, and Zara are all elite competitors on the circuit, but they come from totally different backgrounds. Tommi is a billionaire heiress trying to prove she has real talent (not just deep bank accounts). Kate puts the working in working student-every win has been paid for with hours of cleaning stalls. She's used to the grueling schedule, but Fitz, the barn's resident hot guy, is about to become a major distraction. And then there's Zara. She's the wild child of a famous rockstar, but she's ready to take riding seriously. Can a party girl really change her ways?

Readers who enjoy peeking into the elite world of Gossip Girl or The A-List will feel right at home in this new series with its friendships, drama, and privilege set against the backdrop of competitive horseback riding.

My Thoughts: They were right in comparing The A Circuit to Gossip Girl and The A-List. The A Circuit is full of rich girl drama and not a whole lot of substance, while still pulling the reader in.

The A Circuit is the perfect book for a quick read, especially if you love horses. It's very easy to get sucked into the world of horses and between the three main characters, there is someone for everyone to relate to. Even though I prefer barrel-racing and pole-bending to jumping and hunters, I still loved reading about the competition and the shows. Since Georgina Bloomberg is (or was, maybe) a competitor herself, everything is well-described and accurate, which makes it easy for those who don't know much about horses to still follow the story.

However, while I did honestly enjoy the story, there were a few things I had issues with. First off all, I read somewhere that this was for readers "beginning to grow out of the Canterwood Crest series" and while I do think that this series will appear to Canterwood Crest fans, I also feel like that is not necessarily for the younger fans. There is some drug usage and drinking that don't really serve a purpose and while I do realize that those things happen, I felt like it was just there to make the story more hip. Aside from that, there was some dialogue that made me roll my eyes because no one talks like that, ever.

Overall, though, I definitely enjoyed the A Circuit. It's not meant to be some in-depth and lifechanging book and it's not. It is a quick read and perfect for reluctant readers (especially horse lovers) or just the reader looking for something that's not heavy and dark. I definitely recommend it to other horselovers and will be looking forward to the next book in

Entice by Carrie Jones

T​itle: Entice

Author: Carrie Jones

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Summary:

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that's not quite how things have worked out. For starters, well, Nick is dead. Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla? And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't turned into just any pixie. . . She's Astley's queen.

My Thoughts:

Until I read ENTICE, I forgot how much I adored this series. It's fun and scary and romantic and has a spunky kick-butt main character and I just can't get enough.


E​ntice is the third book in the series and due to that, it's almost like a continuation of CAPTIVATE. That's not necessarily a bad thing because we get to a lot of answers and a lot more questions but don't expect a definite conclusion of the story. Another thing about Entice is that a lot of the plot involved Zara trying to get to Nick, failing, and then putting more people in danger. It happened so many times that in that aspect, it was predictable.

What I absolutely LOVED about Entice is that we got to learn a lot more about the characters. Issie, Dev, and Cassidy all become more developed as the importance of their roles increase. And Astley...oh, Astley. I love him. He is so dimensional and bad and I should hate him but he's actually rather sweet. I love how we got to see more of the different sides of him - the good, the bad, and the heartbreaking. I like Zara too, particularly her kick-butt-ness but she annoyed me at times. We also get introduced to more pixie characters and I'm excited to hear more from them.

Overall, Entice was a fabulous edition to the series. I flew through it and I cannot wait for Book 4!

Hush by Eishes Chayil

Title: Hush
Author: Eishes Chayil
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Rating: 9/10
Summary:
Inside the closed community of Borough Park, where most Chassidim live, the rules of life are very clear, determined by an ancient script written thousands of years before down to the last detail—and abuse has never been a part of it. But when thirteen-year-old Gittel learns of the abuse her best friend has suffered at the hands of her own family member, the adults in her community try to persuade Gittel, and themselves, that nothing happened. Forced to remain silent, Gittel begins to question everything she was raised to believe.

A richly detailed and nuanced book, one of both humor and depth, understanding and horror, this story explains a complex world that remains an echo of its past, and illuminates the conflict between yesterday's traditions and today's reality.

My Thoughts: Hush is a completely original, completely heart-breaking novel. I praise the author for writing such an eye-opening novel.

The beginning of Hush is a little slow and confusing at first, though mostly because I wasn't sure what some of the words meant. But once the story picks up, it's impossible to put down.

It was heartbreaking to read about the guilt and silence that the main character endured and it sickens me to think the people reacted the way they did. Some of the things they're taught about the non-Jews are so unfamiliar to me and it's hard to believe that people really believe those things and also kind of sad. The narrator is so honest and raw about telling everything that it's really hard to put the book down.

Overall, I highly highly recommend Hush!

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Title: Low Red Moon

Author: Ivy Devlin

Publisher:​​​​​​​​ Bloomsbury

Rating: 7.5/10

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Summary:

The only thing Avery Hood can remember about the night her parents died is that she saw silver—deadly silver, moving inhumanly fast. As much as she wants to remember who killed them, she can't, and there's nothing left to do but try to piece her life back together. Then Avery meets the new boy in school—Ben, mysterious and beautiful, with whom she feels a connection like nothing she's ever experienced. When Ben reveals he's a werewolf, Avery still trusts him—at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash inhuman silver. And she learns that she's not the only one who can't remember the night her parents died.Part murder mystery, part grief narrative, and part heart-stopping, headlong romance, Low Red Moon is a must-read for teen paranormal fans


My Thoughts: Low Red Moon had a lot of potential. It could've been a fantastic novel that combined a murder mystery with paranormal romance. Unfortunately, I felt that it fell a bit short.

My main problem with Low Red Moon was that it's such a short novel. There really wasn't any room for much development of any kind in the novel, particularly in the romance. That left it feeling like Ben could have been replaced with any paranormal guy and it felt like a number of those "girl falls for a guy because he's hot and intriguing, guy has no personality" romances. While that occassionally works, I felt like this story had the potential to be so much more. I would have loved to see Ben developed more and a true romance actually take place.

However, while Low Red Moon wasn't as amazing as I would have liked, there were some good parts to it. For one, the murder mystery was well done. It really kept me guessing as to who the murderer was and I didn't figure it out until right before Avery did. The werewolves in the story were also rather unique.

Overall, Low Red Moon and Ivy Devlin definitely have potential. If you really enjoy paranormal romance, definitely give this one a try. I look forward to seeing more of Ivy Devlin!

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Title: Magic Under Glass
Author: Jaclyn Dolamore
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Rating: 9.5/10
Summary:Nimira is a foreign music-hall girl forced to dance for mere pennies. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing with a piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new and better life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets are beginning to stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry's involvement with a league of sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. Then Nimira discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman named Erris is trapped inside the clockwork automaton, waiting for someone to break his curse. The two fall into a love that seems hopeless, and breaking the curse becomes a race against time, as not just their love, but the fate of the entire magical world may be in peril.

My Thoughts: Magic Under Glass is an absolutely amazing book. The first few chapters, while vital to the story, are not that exciting but once the story picks up speed, it never stops.
I'll admit to having my doubts about the romance because I didn't think it was possibly to show affection and romance between a human girl and glass. But Dolamore pulled it off in such a way that felt so real. I could feel the pain and worry and affection between the two of them, to the point it nearly brought me to tears a few times. The fact that Erris was simply an automaton didn't take anything away from the romance - it simply added to it.

The world that Dolamore created is absolutely beautiful. I was completely swept into the story until the very last page was turned and then I just wanted to start all over.

Overall, I highlyhighly recommend this. I think I'm going to be breaking my no-hardcover rule to go buy this one!

Cover Comments: Despite all the controversy, I absolutely LOVE the cover. It's gorgeous. I never really picked up on the fact that Nim was extremely dark-skinned because I skim those parts so I never had a problem with it until it was pointed out to me.
FTC: Copy provided by publisher.