Review: Played by Liz Fichera

Played

by Liz Fichera 

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: May 2014
Page Count: 352
Format: E-Book
Source: Netgalley (thank you!)

Goodreads Synopsis:   
This Game Is Getting All Too Real

He said: I like to keep under the radar and mostly hang out with my friends from the rez. But when I saved Riley Berenger from falling off a mountain, that rich suburban princess decided to try to save me.

She said: If I can help Sam Tracy win the heart of the girl he can't get over, I'll pay him back for helping me. I promised him I would, no matter what it takes.

GOODREADS . AMAZON 




Review: When I began reading this book, I did not realize that it is actually the second book in a series. However, when I went back and started doing some research to make sure I did not really need to read the first book before I continued, I realized it is more of a companion novel than a sequel. Yes, some of the secondary characters are obviously from the first book, which means yes I probably missed out on some details and important things because I didn't read the first book, but I felt like this book stood on its own perfectly. I understood the main concepts and knew what I needed to about the main characters, and that is what mattered to me. 

I really, really wanted to love this book since I am such a big fan of contemporary, but it did not do a whole lot for me. I had been in a bit of a reading slump, but had managed to get out of it a couple of books before that one. Honestly, I think that is the only thing that got me through this book. Had I still been in that slump, I would have given up the book pretty quickly in because the beginning of the book did not do too much for me. 

I really disliked the main character, Riley, in the beginning of this book. She seemed incredibly naive and set on doing things for no reason at all, something that tends to irritate me about characters. Sure, I know realistically people make bad choices, but these were just so random and pointless that they were not realistic, they were just annoying. At the beginning, I honestly did not care what happened to her in the story, and I know that's probably awful! Still, Sam definitely had me wanting to continue reading. While I couldn't stand Riley, I did love Sam. He was so sweet and nice, and I really wanted him to  get a happy ending. 

I do have to say, I like how the characters are first put together - they are partners on a scavenger hunt where they get stuck in the forest for the night and Sam helps Riley survive. She then promises to repay him by helping him get the girl he has a crush on (we all saw where this was going, right?). Of course, this would mean breaking up her brother and his girlfriend, which just seemed plain wrong. I was shocked that she was so okay with doing something that was so horrible, but I guess that had to happen for plot.

While I was not thrilled with the beginning of the book, I do have to say that it improved for me throughout, especially towards the very end of the book. As feelings began to develop between the main characters, I was more invested in the story. I thought that they had good chemistry, and I certainly thought that Riley grew up throughout the book, something that she desperately needed to do based on how she was at the beginning. She became much more bearable for me, and suddenly I was very happy that she and Sam were working out. 

This was a cute, light read if you're a fan of fluffy, young adult contemporaries. It did not make me feel a lot of emotions, but I did enjoy it for the most part, especially as the story went on. I did like what we received of the secondary characters as well, so I may even go back and give the first book in the series a shot.

Rating: 3.0 / 5.0 

Blogger Spotlight: Inge @ Bookshelf Reflections

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another Blogger Spotlight. Please say a big hello to Inge from Bookshelf Reflections! Once again, I have asked her some questions, and I am going to share her answers so that we can all get to know her better! Make sure to also go by her blog and leave a comment saying hello.

Q1: Tell us about yourself; nicknames, occupation, pets, family, etc.

A: 

Hi! My name is Inge, I am 22 years old, and I am a Dutch resident of Belgium with a passion for English. At the end of September, I am going back to Uni to continue my course for Dutch and English, and I'm starting German. It's a decent education for translators, interpreters, writers, journalists, teachers.. anything really. I'd love to join the literary world later on.

I still live at home with my parents, an older brother, a really old golden retriever and an even older cat. It's a nice, quiet place and I enjoy living here for now.

 

Q2: How long have you been blogging? 

 

A: When this interview goes up, I'll have been blogging for three months! I started mid-June 2014 and I'm really enjoying it.

 

Q3: How did you decide on your blog name?

 

A: Heh, I didn't. My co-blogger Karolina is the one who created the blog, and she asked me to co-blog after a couple months. I had only been blogging for 10 days so I was pretty flattered. I like the name Bookshelf Reflections though!

 

Q4: What is your favorite type of post? 

 

A: I've been reviewing on Goodreads for the past three years and I really enjoy that. You can go all ways with a review!

 

Q5: What three books would you recommend to everyone? 

 

A: Hmm, this is a tough one. Can I recommend a series? Because I have to mention Harry Potter. I would also recommend A Girl Like You by Gemma Burgess, which is the best chicklit I have ever read. I'd also add a Brandon Sanderson book - he always blows me away!

 

Q6: What author are you dying to meet? 

 

A: Until recently, I would've replied "L.J. Smith" in a heartbeat, but now I'm not so sure. I think I'll be a total cliché again and pick J.K. Rowling.

 

Q7: Which Hogwarts house would you be in? (OR Divergent faction)?

 

A: Hogwarts house - Ravenclaw. No doubt. As for Divergent, I think I'd be Amity!

 

Q8: Favorite Quote? 

 

A: I really like this one: "You grow up the day you have your first real laugh -- at yourself." I try not to take life too seriously.

 

Tell us ten random facts about yourself: 

 

1. I'd love to live in an Anglophone country when I'm older.

2. I am Dutch and I live in Belgium, but I only read English books. I just prefer reading the original text, and I find reading in Dutch to be awkward.

3. My favourite TV show of all time is That '70s Show.

4. My current favourite is BBC's Sherlock. I am also a fervent Cumberbitch and Hiddlestoner.

5. I know I shouldn't be saying this out loud, but... my favourite band is Nickelback. Don't judge me, okay?

6. I actually wrote my first book during Camp NaNoWriMo this July! It's called The Switcheroo and it's about a boy and a girl who switch bodies. When this blog post goes up, I'm pitching it to agents, so wish me luck! :o)

7. I've been at home since February. Quite literally - I haven't left the house a lot, haven't seen any of my friends. The reason for that is because I have daily intestinal cramps, and I've had them for the past 9 years. Doctors have turned me inside out on several occasions, but they can't find anything. In January they got even worse for no reason whatsoever, and something snapped, I guess. I now have a nice, full-blown anxiety disorder. Not sure how I'm going to go to school like this, but we'll see.

8. Because of reason 7, my favourite genre to read is fantasy. Because it allows me to escape, to experience worlds without limitations, because literally anything and everything is possible.

9. I also read a lot of YA and chicklit. You get bonus points if you incorporate humour in your stories. I love a good laugh!

10. I met Steve-O from Jackass. He was pretty bloody. You can take that quite literally.

 

Doesn't Inge sound wonderful? Thanks again for being a part of Blogger Spotlight, Inge! I had so much fun getting to know more about you. Remember to stop by her blog and show her some love! Also, if you would like to be showcased on a future Blogger Spotlight, please contact me. 

       

 

Shadow Fire Blog Tour + Review

Shadow Fire by Kimber Leigh Wheaton 
(The Light Chronicles #1) 
Publication date: February 24th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis: 
Ashlyn – a free-spirited teenager whose peaceful life is shattered when the village elders honor her with a perilous quest to recover a stolen relic.

Zane – a jaded mercenary, torn by his undeniable desire for Ashlyn and the dark secret that could make her hate him forever.

Delistaire – a malevolent sorcerer driven by an insatiable lust for power.
All three are bound together by an ancient relic supposedly infused with the power of a Goddess.

Shadow Fire – adventure, passion, secrets, and betrayal

As Ashlyn and Zane race to stay one step ahead of the evil lurking in the shadows, their passions are ignited and their bond strengthens. But will they find the relic before Delistaire? Or has their entire quest been orchestrated from the very beginning by a madman in pursuit of ultimate power?

GOODREADS

Purchase: AMAZON





Review: I am a little unsure about how I feel about this book still, which is a feeling that I really hate, though I don't think that it's necessarily a good thing. It has kept me thinking about it long after I finished reading it, which means I'm still thinking about it. That has to be a really good thing, right? There were things that I really enjoyed about this book, but there were also a few things that I was not the biggest fan of. I feel it's that way with most books, but especially with fantasy for me. It is not my favorite genre, so sometimes I do struggle with some of the aspects of the stories. Still, I did think that this was an enjoyable read. I will go through and share my likes and dislikes, just to give everyone an idea of my thoughts as I read.

Likes:

1. The book was very easy to read. I felt that the writing was very well done, the dialogue was great, and I did not think that any part of the book drug on too much. I have a problem with fantasy books because they always seem to drag on way too much as they set things up, but that was not the case here. The writing had me wanting to continue reading, and that is always a very good sign for me. It's the sign of a good writer when you want to see what happens next to the characters in their book.

2. The Creatures: There were a lot of unusual and unique creatures that played a role in this book, and I really enjoyed that. I guess a part of it reminded my of Harry Potter since we are introduced to so many cool characters there, too. I thought that they were all identified and explained well enough that I was not confused when they popped up, and I also loved how a couple of the creatures seemed to be actual characters in the book because of their intelligence.

3. The characters: the characters in this book really were fabulous. Ashlyn, the red-headed main character can obviously take care of herself, which I love in a main female character, especially when it comes to fantasy. It's great when you know that the character could completely take care of herself if she needed to. I felt that she was very believable as a character. Zane was great, too. I tend to dislike the male characters in fantasy books because they tend to be full of themselves, and are often treated like the book could nor survive without them. I did not feel that way with this book, though.

Dislikes: 

1. Insta-love: I'm not as big of a fan of this as I used to be. Sometimes I am still okay with a bit of it, but it just happened way too fast in this book. Sure, the romance was good and I thought that the characters were adorable together, but I do wish that we could have seen how their relationship unfolded a little bit more first. Instead, they meet and then within a couple of days they're completely in love, and that's just not too believable to me.

2. I'm not sure that there was an even amount of romance and adventure. I am a huge contemporary fan, so I definitely love me some romance, but I like it more so in some books than others. I feel that contemporary is the right place for it, and maybe not so much for fantasy. Sure, I am good with their being a relationship, but sometimes I thought that there was too much focus on their romance and PDA and not enough on the quest and adventure that was supposed to be going on. I don't know, that could just be me, though.

3. I felt that a lot of the problems/conflicts in the book were wrapped up way too easily. Problems would be mentioned, and then suddenly it was resolved without much happening at all. There was one point when Zane told Ashlyn some pretty big stuff, and she seemed to barely acknowledge the whole situation and then it was just done. That wasn't okay with me since it seemed so hyped up in the synopsis. I felt like the final battle was way too easy as well. I just wanted to see more of a struggle and adventure in some points.

Overall, I did think that this was a good, fun read. I had been in a bit of a reading slump and read this a little while after coming out of it, so it was nice to read something that I would not necessarily read. I do think that it was very well written and that the characters were amazing. It is not a life changer, but it is certainly a fun read. I would recommend it to any fantasy fans.

Rating: 3.0 / 5.0

Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance and is a member of Romance Writers of America.

She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and four cats. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Her house is filled with dragons, though she does lament that they are the porcelain, non-flying variety.

Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!)

Her debut novel, Shadow Fire, is the first book in the Light Chronicles series. Watch for book two, Stolen Moon, a standalone sequel, coming August 2014.

Author links: 

https://www.facebook.com/KimberLeighWheaton

http://www.kimberleighwheaton.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7885752.Kimber_Leigh_Wheaton

https://twitter.com/Cymberle