The Cloak Society by Jeramey Kraatz

From HarperCollins:

The Cloak Society: An elite organization of supervillains graced with extraordinary powers.

Ten years ago they were defeated by the Rangers of Justice and vanished without a trace. But the villains of Cloak have been biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to resurface. And twelve-year-old Alex Knight wants to be one of them. 

Alex is already a junior member, and his entire universe is Cloak's underground headquarters, hidden beneath an abandoned drive-in theater in Sterling City, Texas. While other kids his age are studying math and history, Alex is mastering his telekinetic powers and learning how to break into bank vaults. His only dream is to follow in his parents' footsteps as one of the most feared supervillains in the world. Cloak is everything he believes in.

But on the day of his debut mission, Alex does the unthinkable: he saves the life of a young Ranger named Kirbie. Even worse . . . she becomes his friend. And the more time he spends with her, the more Alex wonders about the world outside of Cloak—and what, exactly, he's been fighting for.

The Bad:

The Cloak Society was a little drawn out and could have moved at a faster pace for me; however, this is clearly for a middle-grade audience, so for someone at that reading level, it would be fine. 

The Good:

The Cloak Society is ideal for middle-graders who love superheroes and supervillians.  The story of a supervillan questioning his evil agenda and attempting to forge his own path is a good story.  One of my favorite parts of this book is when Alex realizes that there is something inherently wrong with parents that shoot at you…Fans of the Artemis Fowl series will enjoy The Cloak Society.

~Shel 

Waiting on Wednesday (53)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.




By Jessica Shrivington
Publication Date:  March 1, 2013

Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable.

Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.

Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too.

Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.

With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

* * * 1/2 

When Mallory discovers that her boyfriend, Jeremy, is cheating on her with an online girlfriend, she swears off boys. She also swears off modern technology. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory decides to "go vintage" and return to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn't cheat on you online). She sets out to complete grandma's list: run for pep club secretary, host a dinner party, sew a homecoming dress, find a steady, do something dangerous. But the list is trickier than it looks. And obviously finding a steady is out . . . no matter how good Oliver (Jeremy's cousin) smells. But with the help of her sister, she'll get it done. Somehow. Lindsey Leavitt perfectly pairs heartfelt family moments, laugh-out-loud humor, and a little bit of romance in this delightful contemporary novel.

Review:

When Mallory disrupts one of her make out sessions with Jeremy by asking him to make her a snack she opens his computer to get started on a school assignment.  She never expected to open his computer and find  that her boyfriend was having an emotional affair with a girl on Friendspace.  What does she do?  Well, she does what any girl would do and calls him out on his own Friendspace page and then leaves.  She spends the rest of the weekend helping her dad clean out her grandma’s house and avoiding all texts and internet usage.  When she finds a list her grandma made when she was Mallory’s age, Mallory decides that life back then was considerably simpler and in turn better than it is now.  Mallory is determined if she does everything on her grandmother’s list  as well as give up modern conveniences like the internet and cell phones, her life will be better.    What she learns is that things are not always as they seem and sometimes a little old fashioned communication can gain some wonderful new friends.  

This was a cute story.  I think a lot of people will identify with Mallory’s character.  Her insecurities and her lack of focus seemed so, dare I say it, normal.  Her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, is aptly labeled a tool.  But his cousin and classmate Oliver is the kind of boy that I would have admired from afar.  You know.  The boy you are really fascinated with but feel like you have nothing in common with so you just kind of check him out in the hallway but never say a word?    Yeah, that boy.  And then there was Mallory’s sister and rock, Ginny.  It was a blessing these two sisters had each other because their parents were nice but also a little bit nutty.  

All in all, this was a very sweet read.  The best part of this story is that it is appropriate for a lot of ages.   I would probably recommend it to most teens and pre-teens because it is just one of those stories that everyone can relate to in one way or another.  

Going Vintage will be released March 26, 2013

Nat

A Peek In The BiblioBin #52

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This is what we have in our BiblioBin this week. Tell us what's in your bin!


Borrowed:

Blaze or Love In  The Time Of Supervillains by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Purchased:

Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Underworld (The Fallen Star #2) by Jessica Sorensen

Art of Fictional Love (5)

I SQUEED out loud when I saw this on DeviantArt.  Pretty sure I gave the The Executive Officer a heart attack.  Two bad ass Brother/Sister teams from two great series drawn together in one portrait.  Yeah, I would say this piece of art by DeviantArt artist, N-Pricess, was worthy of resurrecting the Art of Fictional Love posts.

Trey & Jade Lansing (Witch Eyes) and Isabel and Alec Lightwood (The Mortal Instruments)

Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton

*****

From HarperCollins:

Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .

Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.

The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity.

As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world's darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself.

Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.

Look at those eyes!  Is it any wonder Ellie fell for Will?!  He's totally my book boyfriend!

You know when you love a series and the last book comes out and you are terrified, excited and devastated all at the same time?  Yeah, that's how I felt when we received the ARC of Shadows of the Silence from PageTurner's Blog.  I LOVE the Angelfire series.  There are endless ways a series can end and so many of those ways can be disappointing.  Will your favorite characters die?  Will the ending leave you cold?  Disappointing?  Heartbreaking?  

I despise spoilers, so all I will say about Shadows is that is was perfect.  Courtney Allison Moulton wrote an absolutely beautiful, touching and devastating conclusion to the Angelfire series.  As I tweeted to her after I finished the book, I love her so much for Shadows that I even forgive her for making me cry.  If you have yet to start the Angelfire series, do it now.  If you read Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked, run out now and get Shadows.  I only hope you love it as much as I did.  

Thank you Courtney Allison Moulton, HarperCollins and PageTurners Blog for choosing us to participate in the ARC tour.  Thank you Courtney Allison Moulton for writing a series that I have loved so much and characters to whom I want to give big hugs and root beer floats!  

~Shel

Waiting on Wednesday (52)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.





By Maureen Johnson
Publication Date:  February 26, 2013

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance. But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades—the city's secret ghost-fighting police—are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it's too late.

In this follow-up to the Edgar Award-nominated The Name of the Star, Maureen Johnson adds another layer of spectacularly gruesome details to the streets of London that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2) by Maureen Johnson

* * * *

Available February 26, 2013

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory’s brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she’s become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades—the city’s secret ghost-fighting police—are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it’s too late.

 

 

Maureen Johnson is back with book 2 in The Shades of London series. As sequels go, this one is pretty stellar.

The Madness Underneath follows Rory as she picks up the pieces after her horrifying ordeal with The Ripper. Going to therapy sessions hasn’t helped since she can’t exactly reveal who she is or the circumstances surrounding her attack. Once thing becomes certain – now that she’s a terminus and has the power to remove ghosts permanently, she’s even more valuable. The return to Wexford is welcomed but Rory does feel like a fish out of water. She's pretty much faking normal and it eats at her. Her awkward reunion with Stephen, Boo and Callum is the only thing that keeps her going. And Stephen, as uptight and rigid as he is about procedure and his personal life, is an odd source of comfort for Rory. Their contrasting natures do at times provide some of the lighter moments in the book, especially when Rory starts on one of her tangents and Stephen has to reel her in.

The new string of murders immediately piques Rory’s interest when she makes a connection between the murders and her attack. Sometimes sequels don’t quite live up to the hype. However, this is a quiet, under-the-radar mind trip  that slowly builds upon Rory’s failure to keep up at school,  her growing isolation from her peers and her deepening involvement with the murders. All this adds to the imbalance and anxiety. You don't quite realize it's all falling to pieces until it actually does.

The Madness Underneath is MUST READ.  The suspense throughout held my attention and I was completely on edge as the ending crept closer leaving me stunned with a cliffhanger I soooooo did not expect!

 

~ Bel

A Peek In The BiblioBin #51

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This is what we have in our BiblioBin this week. Tell us what's in your bibliobin!


Purchased (Because There Was A Super Awesome Deal On This That Would've Been Silly To Pass Up):

Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

The Raven Boys (the Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers

Borrowed (And Because Someone Insists I Read It):

Gone Girl by Gilliam Flynn

 Finally Knocking Down The TBR Pile:

The Fallen Star (Fallen Star #1)

The Bridgertons: Art and Quotes by Julia Quinn

It is a 11pm on Thursday and I realized that I haven't scheduled a Friday post like I promised Shel and Bel.  I may not have time to throw a review together but I can bug you with a tiny teaser from the next Julia Quinn book I will be reviewing for the blog.  

Julia Quinn has been sharing some excellent art and quotes in preparation for the release of her upcoming book, The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After.  Here is a quote from the second Bridgerton novel (Anthony Bridgerton's story),  The Viscount Who Loved Me.  This particular quote reminded me of some funny things that happen in this story.  I doubt Shel will ever be a historical romance fan but the situations in this one might just be funny enough to entertain her.

Julia Quinn has posted these lovely quotes for the first four (so far) Bridgerton books on her Facebook page.   I highly recommend you visit and check them out.  And while you are out there you should LIKE Ms.Quinn's page to get the latest news on her releases as well as the releases of many of her favorite authors.

Cheers!

Nat

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

* * * *

Can there be any greater challenge to London's Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke? 

--- Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1813

By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend's sister, the lovely---and almost-on-the-shelf---Daphney Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth--it's all an elaborate plan to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.

But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it's hard to remember that their courtship is a complete sham. Maybe it's his devilish smile, certainly it's the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her...but somehow Daphne is falling for the dashing duke...for real! And now she must do the impossible and convince the handsome rogue that their clever little scheme deserves a slight alteration, and that nothing makes quite as much sense as falling in love...

Review:

The Duke and I is the first installment in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series.  And it certainly sets the expectations high for the rest of the series.  

Simon Arthur Henry Fitzranulph Basset, Earl Clyvedon, at the tender age of 4, was deemed (by his father) inadequate to be the tenth Duke of Hastings.  The ninth Duke of Hastings made no secret to Simon that he believed his son was an idiot due to his stammer.  Fortunately, Simon was a stubborn little boy that chose to prove that his father was the idiot.  But regardless of his success in that matter, his father’s rejection affected him more than he cared to admit.  So much so that he has chosen to never marry.  Never have children.  And in the end, let the title that his father so adored fall back on the Crown.  

Daphne Bridgerton is the fourth of the Bridgerton siblings.  Easy to remember when they are named in alphabetical order – Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth.  After two seasons and four less than palatable marriage offers, Daphne fears that she will always be considered the girl everyone wants to be friends with and never the girl every man wants to marry.  

When Simon meets Daphne at Lady Danbury’s ball, he sees the perfect opportunity to avoid the matchmaking mamas.  To avoid the marriage market, he and Daphne decide to embark on a mock courtship that should also lure in more suitors for her.  And it works!  Except now Simon is thinking about Daphne all the time and Daphne is not ashamed to admit to herself that she has fallen quite in love with the tenth Duke of Hastings.   

The Duke and I is a lovely start to the Bridgerton series.  Simon is the perfect aristocratic hero.  Funny and kind to those close to him.  Haughty and arrogant to strangers.  And underneath it all lays a loneliness and insecurity that provides the perfect amount of angst to his otherwise perfect character.  Daphne is just plain loveable.  With three older brothers, she is just as comfortable being friendly with the boys as she is with the girls.  Together they make a fun and loving couple that you root for until the end.

Another wonderful thing about this Bridgerton novel is that you get a little taste of every Bridgerton.  My favorite is that of the wonderful and amazing mother of them all, Violet Bridgerton.  We are given a wonderful view of the relationship Daphne has with Violet.  And nothing can compare with the “wedding night” conversation that Violet tries to have with Daphne.  Let’s just say that her ability to talk about sex is lacking.  So much so that we find in a later book that Eloise and Francesca pool their pin money to bribe a maid so they can get a decent account of what the wedding night is really all about.

Needless to say, I enjoyed the Duke and I.  It is a lovely romance highlighted by Quinn’s amazing genius humor and witty dialogue.  

Nat 

Waiting on Wednesday (51)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.

By Kiersten White
Publication Date:  February 19, 2013

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Wicked Kiss (Nightwatchers #2) by Michelle Rowen

* * *

MY KISS CAN KILL.

I used to be ordinary Samantha Day, but that's changed. Now, after one dark kiss from a dangerous boy, I can steal someone's soul...or their life. If I give in to the constant hunger inside me, I hurt anyone I kiss. If I don't...I hurt myself.

Bishop is the one whose kiss I crave most, but if I kiss him, I'll kill him. Then there's another boy, one I can't hurt. One whose kiss seems to miraculously quell my hunger. They're both part of a team of angels and demons that's joined forces in my city to fight a mysterious rising darkness, an evil that threatens everyone I know and love. I just wonder if I'll be able to help Bishop-or if I'm just another part of the darkness he's sworn to destroy....

NIGHTWATCHERS

When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising...

Dare I say it? Wicked Kiss is even better than Dark Kiss! Now that Samantha has lost her soul and is a gray she has to deal with that constant hunger to feed off other people's souls. It's a bit of a nuisance. So priority number one is to recover her soul and get her best friend back. Not so easy. The person who could help her most is no longer, evil aunt Natalie, and Stephen her former crush who took her soul in the first place remains elusive. While all that’s going on, Bishop the fallen angel who is burdened with a soul is going mad from it. There are also a string of mysterious teenage deaths raising eyebrows and more grays to be rid off. Still, there's time for Samantha to nurse a longing for Bishop and her curiosity about his past is gnawing at her as much as her hunger for souls.

Our unlikely team of paranormals - angels, demons, gray - has plenty to contend with which makes Wicked Kiss so much fun. There is not one moment of downtime. Even when it’s sort of quiet, there’s always something or someone stirring the pot, whether it's her arch nemesis Jordan or the addition to the team, an angel named Cassandra.  She claims she’s there to assist with the cleanup in Trinity but she has a hidden agenda. There are plenty of trust issues going on and Samantha has a hard time leaving Bishop alone when it comes to getting to know him better. Their constant I-want-to-touch-you-but-it’s-too-dangerous moments are exciting and once Samantha does get glimpses of Bishop’s past it’s almost too much.  But really it’s the dynamic between Samantha and Kraven that was most fun for me. Kraven reminds me of some of my favorite snarky fictional boys – Damon, Jace and Patch – and we know how much I LOVE snark and bad boys. He had me giggling a lot! 

Rowen definitely elevated this story and as each chapter progressed so did the tension and urgency. Introducing a few new elements shaped a story that I genuinely liked. It's simply an enjoyable, fun escape!  

~ Bel

A Peek In The BiblioBin #50

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This is what we have in our BiblioBin this week. Tell us what's in your bibliobin!

For review:

The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar

Borrowed:

Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

The Thing About The Truth by Lauren Barnhold

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

* * * *
Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend's brother for... well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret... and fears she doesn't know him at all. 

Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone's preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. 

But when Colin returns to London from a trip aboard, he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same, especially Penelope Featherington, the girl haunting his dreams! 

And when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide... is she his biggest threat, or his promise of a happy ending?


Review:

I have been reluctant to review Julia Quinn’s book here.  Why, you might ask?  It’s not that there is anything wrong with them.  Quite the opposite actually.  I am absolutely smitten with Julia Quinn and all her stories.  I don’t remember which novel of hers that I read first.  I do know remember that it was a Bridgerton book.  And I do remember that I after reading it I began a quest to collect every single one of her books.  A quest that I am not ashamed to say I have successfully completed.  So my love of Julia won over the reluctance which means I am now going to bore you with all the reasons I love Mr. Bridgerton.

Not Lord Anthony Bridgerton (The Viscount That Loved Me)

Not Mr. Benedict Bridgerton (An Offer From a Gentleman)

No, I love Mr. Colin Bridgerton.  Because he is a mere third son with no prospects other than a nice income bestowed upon him by his eldest brother, the viscount.  And really, I can forgive the over indulgent income because who wants to read a story about the struggles of the poor aristocracy?  It is so much more fun to have a wealthy hero or heroine so you can focus on the love story that is in play.  At least that is what I think.

I also love Mr. Colin Bridgerton for all the same reasons Miss Penelope Featherington loves Mr. Colin Bridgerton.  And that is because he is funny and most importantly, he is kind.  Oh, we all know how much I love those NICE boys.  Or in this case, men.

Miss Penelope Featherington is a wallflower.  Her wit and intelligence are hidden from the public by her significant insecurities.  She has been bullied by the ton for not being pretty enough or popular enough.  The Bridgertons have been the one and only family to provide her true friendship and affection and have give her a ray of light in an otherwise dreary world of balls and dinners that she’d rather not attend.  Finally, at the “old” age of almost 28, Penelope finally has found some relief in that she is not expected to dance and flirt and look for a husband amongst a bunch of people that have never been kind to her.  She is content to sit back and laugh and chat with the other chaperones while her younger sister enjoys her own season.

Mr. Colin Bridgerton is home from yet another trip to Europe.  But this return is turning out to be much different than his other visits home.  His sister’s best friend, Miss Penelope Featherington has always been kind but she has also always just been there.  Like another sibling in his already large family of seven brothers and sisters (not counting him).  But after conversing with her at a ball, Colin is wondering why he has never realized how much fun Penelope is.  She is smart, funny and an all out joy to be around.  He finds himself not only thinking of her constantly but also ashamed of himself for not being mature enough recognize her beauty sooner.  On top of that, Colin is also struggling with his own insecurities and the lack of focus that has been troubling him for years.

If you can’t tell, this is one of my favorite Quinn novels.  I love this story because the issues these two characters have are so relatable.  Even in a modern age.  No, we don’t live in a world where a woman has to marry to have an imagined feeing of independence – thank God.  But we can all relate to feelings of insecurity and self doubt when it comes to life and relationships.   I also love that our heroine isn’t a young debutante that has barely reached twenty years of age.  Not that it’s uncommon to have an older heroine in historical romance.  It is just nice to read about two mature individuals that have unexpectedly found love in each other.

So obviously I recommend this to anyone that likes historical romance. BUT….even though I sit here and give it a glowing review, I will have to ask that you read the Bridgerton novels in order.  I know, I know.  How rude to ask that when I am not reviewing them in order.  And you know what?   You are right.  Go ahead.  I give you permission to read this one first.  There is a pretty big spoiler in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.  It won’t spoil the first three books.  In fact it might enhance them knowing a secret that every Bridgerton (along with the rest of London) is dying to know.

Nat

When Love Comes To Town by Tom Lennon

* * * *

The year is 1990, and in his hometown of Dublin, Ireland, Neil Byrne plays rugby, keeps up with the in-crowd at his school, and is just a regular guy. A guy who's gay. It's a secret he keeps from the wider world as he explores the city at night and struggles to figure out how to reveal his real self--and to whom.

First published in Ireland in 1993 and compared to The Catcher in the Rye by critics, Tom Lennon's When Loves Comes to Town is told with honesty, humor, and originality.

This is the 20^th anniversary edition of When Love Comes To Town. At first I didn’t realize it was a re-issue. But I’m glad for it as I got the chance to experience a time and place as it was back then, not from memory but as it was happening. The foreword by James Klise provides a stark reminder that this book arrived on the scene before famous people coming out of the closet became the norm. That provided an interesting perspective as I read through one of the best and most touching books on the subject.

Neil truly is just one of the lads. He’s bright, personable, athletic and charming, surrounded by many friends though still feels separate from everyone because of what he is hiding. Lennon does a fantastic job laying out the path that Neil begins on as he gains the courage to be himself. He starts by revealing himself to one of his best friends, Becky. Her reaction and instant acceptance are a surprise and relief to him. Having at least one person know this secret that he’s held so close is like opening a floodgate encouraging him to be braver.

He stumbles upon a gay bar in Dublin where he’s a little out of his element at first but ends up making new friends. As the story progresses, Neil balances between his worlds – his gay friends, the select few who know his secret and the rest of his oblivious family and friends.

When Love Comes To Town is a lovely coming-of-age story that's compassionate, thoughtful and witty. I instantly took to Neil. He's the kind of guy you'd want to be your best friend or brother. He has a wonderful personality that is so welcoming and devoid of pretense. Yes, I know that is odd to say considering how he’s been hiding his sexuality. But he’s such a genuine guy who is trying to come into his own. That’s a struggle every person goes through regardless of sexual orientation. And the story is not just about Neil. It’s also about the people around him who are learning to adjust to changes in their own lives and relationships. Neil’s observations are perceptive.  His willing acceptance of some of his friend's reactions is remarkably generous considering how close-minded they are. 

I highly recommend When Love Comes To Town. It's a brilliant book about self-discovery without a whole lot of angst or overly dramatic elements. It's simply charming, starting out with promise, delivering straight through the end!

~ Bel

A Peek In The BiblioBin #49

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This is what we have in our BiblioBin this week. Tell us what's in your bibliobin!

For review:

Emblaze (The Violet Eden Chapters #3) by Jessica Shrivington

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

Dance of Shadows (Dance of Shadows #1) by Yelena Black

Temping Is Hell (Necessary Evil #1) by Cathy Yardley



Borrowed:

Everbound (Everneath #2) by Brodi Ashton


Purchased:

Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3) by Ally Carter 

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi