Mini Reviews!

You can't tell because my blog has been a deserted wasteland since September 3rd, but I've actually been doing a lot of reading.  I used to be so motivated to blog my reviews, to the point where I refused to start a new book until the review of the previous had been posted.  But... there's a small stack of books next to me that either says I'm a slacker, or simply human.  Either way, it's time to catch you up on some of the fun things I've been reading.  A YA novel, a NA novel, and an adult novel.  A little something for everyone.

Fallen Too Far (link to Goodreads)
Abbi Glines
188 Kindle pages
Publisher: the author
Source: purchased
★★★★☆

AH!  *fans self off*  This new adult book was simply steamy and fun.  I purchased it for my Kindle after seeing Abbi Glines speak at the Decatur Book Festival.  She had such personality on the stage and she really sold her stories, so I decided to start with this one.  Nineteen year old Blaire has left Alabama to move in with her wealthy father, but instead she finds Rush, her new step-mother's son, in the house.  It's a whole new lifestyle for Blaire, with huge mansions, lavish parties and country clubs, where she decides to get a job.  Of course, then there's the sexy Rush who is guarding a huge secret (that I saw coming, but still...)  This book was such a guilty pleasure for me, it drew me in and I read it all in one sitting.  The chemistry Abbi creates in her writing is simply palpable.  I really recommend this one for New Adult fans!

Werewolf in Alaska (Goodreads)
Vicki Lewis Thompson
316 pages
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Source: purchased
★★★☆☆

Sometimes I just want some fluffy and fun to read, so with that in mind I headed off to Barnes & Noble yesterday.  Yes, yesterday.  I was wandering the romance aisle's new releases hoping for something Christmas-y (don't judge) when I was drawn in by this book's title and cover instead.  I visited Alaska in 2012 and really miss it, plus the description on the back of the book really drew me in - Rachel makes a living as a famous wood carver and lives across the lake from Jake, who is secretly a werewolf.  They've been watching each other for three years across that lake, but it all comes to a head when Rachel is attacked by a bear in Jake saves her in wolf form.  This book started out slowwwly, but picked up in the middle and then had a very rushed ending.  Still, I found Rachel and Jake's romance cute and definitely steamy.  This is a great read if you love mass market paranormal romance.  Evidently it's fifth in a series, the rest of which is probably worth checking out.  The werewolf politics in this series seems really well thought out by the author.  Thompson seems great at world building, though not moving the novel along at constant speed.

The Murmurings (Goodreads)
Carly Anne West
370 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: the library
★★★☆

On a more serious note, I also recently finished The Murmurings, which has been on my radar quite some time because of its delightfully creepy cover and description.  Sophie is mourning the loss of her sister Nell, after she "went crazy."  But Sophie knows there was more to it than that, since she is hearing the same murmurings her sister did and is starting to see those strange things in the mirror, as well.  After finding an unlikely partner in the new boy in town, Evan, they start investigating the hospital where Nell stayed and what the real story is behind the sketchy facility.  While The Murmurings wasn't as creepy as I thought it would be, it definitely had its horror movie moments.  (People dragged up to the ceilings, dangling upside down by one toe?  Uh, hello, scary!)  Evan and Sophie's chemistry was great and reading about Sophie's difficult home life really added to the plot.  I really enjoyed this one and couldn't put it down, even though it made me wonder if I was hearing voices, too... dundundun.