"The Royal We" - Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Today's review goes off my "Unfinished Series" theme for the month but as I said at the start, I would have a few books to read outside of that! This review is the February book for my FYA book club. Since the list came out of books we would be reading for the year, the other members have been going crazy for this book. So I was quite excited to pick up The Royal We! Who doesn't love a good "commoner falls in love with the prince" fairytale?!

I might be Cinderella today, but I dread who they'll think I am tomorrow. I guess it depends on what I do next. 

American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasised about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, NIck's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family who's private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become. 

Which is how she gets into trouble. Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she's sacrificed for love -- her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself -- will have been for nothing.

Spanning nearly a decade, THE ROYAL WE is a richly imagined, emotionally compelling novel that examines, with warmth and wit, what truly happens after your prince has come. 

Normal girl from Iowa studies abroad at Oxford, meets a great group of friends, falls in love with the Prince of England, goes through the horrific tribulations of the press, ultimately causing rifts in their fairy tale romance. All completely normal. Sounds great right? Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan are great writers, don't get me wrong. And I love a good fairy tale dream-like romance. But UGH! I was so disappointed!! What I couldn't stand, is  the multitude of similarities between the book and the real Prince Will and Kate. And not just similarity with it being a story of royals but parallels between family relationships, friendships, and love story. I mean, we're talking the same timeline of events, absent mother figure, and Jenny Packman dresses!! It was too much. I love the "Will & Kate" story. I'm the creepy stalker who waits anxiously for new pictures of the royal babies and wants to know every charity Kate is spearheading. I read every People article. And I would have liked this book more had it not been SO similar. That fact alone ruined the book for me. Still a well-written book though so if that fact doesn't bother you, then it's worth the read! As always, feel free to share any comments, suggestions, or recommendations!

Happy reading fools :)

P.S. Things will be a little quiet for the next few days! I have a puppy I need to go spend some quality time with this weekend! Don't let that adorable, innocent face fool you, though. He's a monster :)

"See Me" - Nicholas Sparks

Hello fellow bibliophiles! HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone had a great holiday and is ready to kickstart reading all those wonderful new books you received for Christmas. I myself have already finished mine :) So for the first review for the year, I give you See Me by Nicholas Sparks, the newest book from my favorite author. First off, let me just say how difficult it was to hold off reading this book from when it first came out this fall. I was swamped with other things and predicted I would mostly get it as a gift, so I withheld. And then I devoured it in two days. Check out my past review of my favorite book by Sparks, The Rescue, and what brought me to his books HERE.

See me just as I see you . . .

Colin Hancock is giving his second chance his best shot. With a history of violence and bad decisions behind him and the threat of prison dogging his every step, he's determined to walk a straight line. To Colin, that means applying himself single-mindedly toward his teaching degree and avoiding everything that proved destructive in his earlier life. Reminding himself daily of his hard-earned lessons, the last thing he is looking for is a serious relationship.

Maria Sanchez, the hardworking daughter of Mexican immigrants, is the picture of conventional success. With a degree from Duke Law School and a job at a prestigious firm in Wilmington, she is a dark-haired beauty with a seemingly flawless professional track record. And yet Maria has a traumatic history of her own, one that compelled her to return to her hometown and left her questioning so much of what she once believed.

A chance encounter on a rain-swept road will alter the course of both Colin and Maria's lives, challenging deeply held assumptions about each other and ultimately, themselves. As love unexpectedly takes hold between them, they dare to envision what a future together could possibly look like . . . until menacing reminders of events in Maria's past begin to surface.

As a series of threatening incidents wreaks chaos in Maria's life, Maria and Colin will be tested in increasingly terrifying ways. Will demons from their past destroy the tenuous relationship they've begun to build, or will their love protect them, even in the darkest hour?Rich in emotion and fueled with suspense, SEE ME reminds us that love is sometimes forged in the crises that threaten to shatter us . . . and that those who see us for who we truly are may not always be the ones easiest to recognize.  

Another great book from Sparks yet different than most of his! What I liked best about the book was the thriller aspect that is so widely popular right now. I was kept on my toes throughout the story, trying to figure out what was going to happen next. The book did take me a little longer than normal to get into it, about 40ish pages, but then I was hooked. It's packed full of mystery, suspense, romance, and internal struggles of right and wrong. I really liked the main character Colin. You can pull back his layers like that of an onion. That being said, I think there was even more that was left out! The way the plot twists and turns and interconnects is very well done. Not surprising coming from a seasoned author like Sparks.

Side note: I, unfortunately, was able to figure out the ending with about 100 pages still remaining. Sparks throws out  ONE line and if you paid attention earlier in the book, you will most likely catch it as well. Right after reading that line, I needless to say expressed my frustrations vocally :) Many may not catch it, but I'm sorry if you do. I feel your pain. No worries though, there is still plenty of suspense left in the remainder of the book to hold your attention. Make sure to check it out! Overall, another great book from Nicholas Sparks. As always, feel free to share you comments, recommendations, or thoughts on the book!

Happy reading fools :)

P.S. Don't forget to sign up for the Clean Slate Read-a-Thon to get rid of those 2015 books that you were unable to finish! There is still time to sign up. Let's get those books off your TBR list and start the year off without being backlogged and fretting over those books! Check out my plans for the Read-a-Thon HERE. I will be updating my progress throughout that week!

Click here to sign up!

"Child 44" - Tom Rob Smith

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Since I won't be writing the review for the book I am finishing tonight until after midnight, I thought I'd give you a throwback review for today! Complete with a bonus at the end of my thoughts on the movie! Today's throwback is Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith. For those of you who know me, I have a love for all things pertaining to Russia. Russian books, books set in Russia, its history, current news, hockey, etc. (Looking for a challenge? Try reading In The First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. It took me 2.5 years). I fell in love with this book many moons ago and have always felt it has been underrated in the reading community. Don't worry Smith, I constantly recommend this book to others! 


"Stalin's Soviet Union is an official paradise, where citizens live free from crime and fear only one thing: the all-powerful state. Defending this system is idealistic security officer Leo Demidov, a war hero who believes in the iron fist of the law, but when a murderer starts to kill at will and Leo dares to investigate, the State's obedient servant finds himself demoted and exiled. Now, with only his wife at his side, Leo must fight to uncover shocking truths about a killer -- and a country where "crime" doesn't exist."

That description does not do the story justice at all. Smith does a great job of placing the reading into the communist state of the Soviet Union by demonstrating the fears and consequences that came about every day for people living within its walls. The struggle Leo faces not only with the State and his superiors but within himself is an amazing dynamic. How do you persevere and fight for justice when around every corner you could be facing death? I loved the suspense and fight for the truth. I highly recommend reading it. I would include it in my top 15 of all time favorites. When I recently reread the book not too long ago, I discovered there are actually 2 more books preceding this one that I had no idea about. No worries, I have added them to my TBR list! As always, feel free to share any comments, suggestions, or recommendations.

Happy reading fools :)

MOVIE REVIEW BONUS: Recently Child 44 was made into a movie starring Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, and Noomi Rapace. While I was definitely looking forward to watching the movie, it did not do well at the box office and made me question if I was willing to take the risk. I was afraid the movie might ruin the book for me. Alas, I went ahead and watched it anyway! The writers did well with sticking to the story line from the book and while I did like the movie and felt it was better than what others had said, it still lacked the luster and allure I felt while reading the book. It's still worth watching in my opinion!