STORM CLOUDS ARE GATHERING, AND THEY WILL RAIN BLOOD.
Scarlett is living her happy-ever-after, back in the real world. Only the ‘happy’ part is proving problematic.
For starters, there’s the isolation. Being a Cerulean among humans is fraught with risk, so her time with people can only be fleeting. Which means being with Luke but not being with Luke.
Then there’s her Cerulean light, her power over life and death. Less awesome talent, as it turns out, and more overwhelming responsibility. And it comes with rules – rules that are increasingly difficult to obey.
But what’s really pushing Scarlett to the precipice is something much bigger than herself, than her life in the cove. A force to be reckoned with:
Blood.
When long-buried truths are exposed, will Scarlett keep her head above water – or will she drown in the blood-dimmed tide that is unleashed?
It began with screaming. Shrill, ear-piercing, horrified screaming.
A girl shrieked, ‘Blood! Look, look – it’s everywhere!’ and pressed her hand to her mouth.
A man shouted, ‘Good grief!’ and another, ‘Great Scott!’
An old lady swooned gracefully and would have tipped over the balustrade of the riverboat had a lanky lad not caught her.
The cause of the excitement – a woman lying slumped on the long table on deck, cheek on her bread plate, headdress in the butter dish – twitched a little.
‘She’s alive!’ cried a lad beside her delightedly. ‘She moved!’
‘Did not,’ argued another.
‘Did too!’
‘Gentlemen,’ interjected a short, portly man with a twirly black moustache, ‘if you will forgive my intrusion, it must be noted that this woman has a bullet hole in her head and is logically, therefore, quite definitely deceased.’
Another old dear folded to the deck with a prolonged ‘Ohhhhhh’ and her husband grabbed a feathered fan and began wafting cool evening air in her face while calling, ‘Smelling salts – does anyone have any?’
I tried to keep a straight face. Really I did. I bit my bottom lip until I tasted my cherry-red lipstick. I pinched my leg through the cream satin of my gown. I dug my long cigarette holder into the sensitive flesh of my arm.
But it was no good.
The ‘What ho, chaps’ posh accents.
The buxom woman sagging in the arms of an elephant hunter wearing Converse All Stars.
The production of smelling salts in a bottle whose label read Pepto-Bismol.
The corners of the little round man’s moustache coming looser with his every word.
The fast-pooling puddle of pinkish blood on the bread plate, buffeted by the steady in-and-out breaths of the corpse.
Take it from a girl who’s really died – death on the River Dart, Devon, is hilarious.
‘Dear me, Ms Robson here appears to be quite overcome with shock,’ said the guy at my side suddenly, and he slipped an arm around me and turned me away. ‘Come, madam. Let us get some air.’
I smiled at him. Then grinned. Then choked back a guffaw. Thankfully, by the time full-scale hilarity hit me I’d been led to the rear of the boat, away from the rest of our party, and could bury my face in the bloke’s chest and shake mutely with laughter.
The gallant gentleman rubbed my back soothingly as I let it all out and said loudly, for the benefit of any onlookers, ‘There there, pignsey, there there.’
‘Pigsney?’ It was the final straw. My high-heeled sandals gave way and I melted into a puddle of mirth on the deck.
‘I’ll have you know, Scarlett Blake,’ hissed Luke, my boyfriend a.k.a. gallant gent, hoiking up his too-tight corduroy trousers so he could squat down beside me, ‘I Googled “old-fashioned terms of endearment” and pigsney’s a classic.’
I wiped tears from my eyes, dislodging a false eyelash in the process, and tried to catch my hiccupping breath as Luke went on.
‘Means pig’s eye. No idea why that’s appealing, but apparently in the seventeenth century, calling a lady pigsney was the very height of courting.’
Through his fake specs Luke’s blue eyes fixed me with a stare so earnest I almost managed to stop laughing.
‘But this is a Death on the Nile-Stroke-Dart murder mystery night, Luke,’ I managed to get out. ‘Set in the nineteen thirties, not the seventeen thirties.’
‘Ah,’ he said, ‘but my character tonight, Mr Fijawaddle, is a historical fiction writer, isn’t he? So as well as dressing like a brainy recluse – and I’m warning you now, I won’t hear another slur against this tweed jacket – he’d know all kinds of obscure terms. Like ginglyform and jargogle and nudiustertian and bromopnea and farctate and quagswag and philosophunculist.’
His showing off sobered me just enough to control the giggles. ‘You made those words up,’ I accused, poking a crimson talon into his mustard-yellow shirtfront.
He blinked at me innocently. ‘Did not. I told you before we left the house, I did my homework.’
I narrowed my eyes. ‘All right then, Mr Fijawaddle, what does that last word you said mean?’
‘Philosophunculist?’
‘Yes, that.’
‘Er…’ Luke gave me a sheepish grin.
‘Spill it,’ I said menacingly. As menacingly as a girl dressed up as a vintage Hollywood starlet with cute little pin curls and rouge aplenty can be, that is.
‘Philosophunculist,’ recited Luke. ‘Noun. A person who pretends to know more than they do in order to impress others.’
I threw my head back and laughed. ‘Busted!’
Luke slipped an arm around me and pulled me close. Really close.
‘Bet you like it when I use long words,’ he said huskily, eyes fixed on my too-red lips.
‘Bet you like it when I wear a clingy nightgown as a dress,’ I replied, eyes fixed on his too-kissable lips.
‘Brazen hussy,’ he growled at me.
‘Randy boffin,’ I murmured back.
Then neither of us said another word for quite some time.
Author Bio
Once upon a time a little girl told her grandmother that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer. Or a lollipop lady. Or a fairy princess fireman. ‘Write, Megan,’ her grandmother advised. So that’s what she did.
Thirty-odd years later, Megan is a professional writer and published author by day, and an indie novelist by night. Her fiction – young adult romance with soul – recently earned her the SPR’s Independent Woman Author of the Year award.
Megan grew up in the Royal County, a hop, skip and a (very long) jump from Windsor Castle, but these days she makes her home in Robin Hood's county, Nottinghamshire. She lives with her husband, a proud Scot who occasionally kicks back in a kilt; her son, a budding artist with the soul of a palaeontologist; and her baby daughter, a keen pan-and-spoon drummer who sings in her sleep. When she's not writing, you'll find her walking someplace green, reading by the fire, or creating carnage in the kitchen as she pursues her impossible dream: of baking something edible.
In the continuation of the LOVE LIKE WE DO series, SIDE B, Max experiences the excitement of first love and the crushing disappointment of rejection when he realizes that the person he cares for is too ashamed to be with him. For Callen to be honest with himself and to live the life he wants to live, he knows he risks becoming ostracized by his own parents and society. For someone who’s always been strong and confident, he’s never felt so weak or afraid to stand up for what he believes is right for him.
This is Max and Callen’s side of the story.
Review
While this is the same story as Side A, it's 100% worth reading. This is the inside story of Max and Callen. I believe that Side A could be read as a standalone, but Side B certainly cannot. I recommend you read both, though. They are that good!
Side B provides an understanding of the events in a deeper way than what was given in Side A. You get to know Callen. You get to know his struggles and his reasoning. Though I said you could probably read Side A as a standalone, you won't get the intimate understanding that you really deserve until you read Side B. Don't skip this book!
Also, can I just mention Will Rosser for a moment? I thought I loved him before. Um, now I really do! Seeing his support for Callen (and Max) just blew me away. I cannot wait for his story.
These two books are, by far, my favorite two books from Lori (although Lost and Found is close behind them). She's a phenomenal writer and story teller. Please, do yourself a favorite and check out her books.
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
* This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review. *
The odds were stacked against Max Rosser when he was born sixteen years ago. A month before his birth, his father was put in jail for breaking parole, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest. His single mother was an alcoholic, struggling to keep her job and her home. Already, she could barely take care of eight-year-old Will and twelve-year-old Jon.
Max's older brothers hid their mother’s disease from him as best as they could, and they made sure Max had everything he needed to be a normal, well-adjusted kid, despite the fact that they lived at or below the poverty line for much of his childhood. When his oldest brother became engaged to Livvy Holland, the daughter of the richest man in the state, Max befriended her little brother, Trey, and the two remained best friends even though their home lives couldn’t be more different.
Through Trey, Max made more friends, including star athlete Callen McNare. Over the years, the boys played team sports, went on group dates, and worked summer jobs together. They became close; closer than anyone would have guessed. Before a real relationship could even begin, Max and Callen were forced apart when their secret was discovered.
In LOVE LIKE WE DO - SIDE A, family and friends reevaluate their associations with the boys. Callen’s parents are in denial. Trey feels betrayed by his two closest buddies and wonders how their friendship will change. Jon struggles to keep his family together, despite his mother’s devout beliefs and his brother Will’s immoral ways. Interactions with the people around them could bring enlightenment and understanding, or they could keep Max and Callen apart while doing irreparable damage to their families.
This is Trey and Jon's side of the story.
Review
Love Like We Do (Side A) reminded me just how much I love Lori Otto. Her writing is some of the best I've ever read.
The characters in Love Like We Do will be familiar to those that have read the Emi Lost and Found & Choisie series. While you don't have to read either of the series in order to enjoy this one, it will provide a deeper understanding and connection to the characters. Personally, I love that Lori's books focus on the same grouping of characters. Each character has a story to tell and she's telling them all beautifully. Besides, it's nice to see beloved characters again and again.
As far as this book goes, it was wonderful. I teared up within the first few pages (like, seriously, third page in and I had tears in my eyes!). Lori's writing is powerful. She covers what some may consider a sensitive topic in this book and she does so with finesse. There's a beautiful message of acceptance and, most importantly, love.
It's easy for me to say that this is my favorite book by Lori yet. It hit all the right notes for me. I wasn't disappointed with a single thing. I am so eager to start on Side B.
Oh, one thing of note: I am very glad that I read the novella, Crossroads, before reading this book. As someone that read both the Emi Lost and Found & Choisie series, I feel like this was especially important to read. It gives insight into Will that I am glad I had. If I hadn't read it, I would have had some serious questions about some of his behavior throughout the story. This is likely because I knew him from the previous series, though, and wouldn't affect someone that's only reading Love Like We Do.
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
* This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review. *
Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.
Review
I love the way this story was told. It's told through two points of view (Jude and Noah), but at different times (Jude is 16 and Noah is 13-14). While it might seem like that would be confusing, it's quite the opposite. Jude and Noah have very distinct voices. It's easy to keep the story straight. This type of dual point of view storytelling was executed fabulously and I loved it.
And these characters! Oh, I just love them. Noah especially. When I first started reading, I wasn't sure how I felt about Noah. I drifted more towards Jude. However, as the story went on, I just fell in love with Noah. All of the characters, though, were great. They were complex and alive! Beautifully done.
I'll Give You the Sun was wonderful. Great writing, complex and compelling characters, and interesting story. It has everything I want in a great book.
Nineteen-year-old Claire Pearson knows she needs a life. And some new friends. But brittle, beautiful, and just a little bit too sassy for her own good sometimes, she no longer makes friends easily. And she has no clue where to start on the whole finding a life front, either. Not after a confidence-shattering year dogged by bad break-ups, friends who have become strangers, and her constant failure to meet her parents sky-high expectations.
When Robbie and Mia walk into Claire’s work they seem the least likely people to help her find a life. But despite Claire’s initial attempts to alienate them, an unexpected new friendship develops.
And it’s the warm, brilliant Mia who seems to get Claire like no one has before. Soon, Claire begins to question her feelings for her new friend.
Review
First things first, I'd gladly take the second book now. Please.
Big points for girls that like girls! There's a definite need for more diversity in YA/NA (I would say that A Story of Now falls under the NA category), so it's always lovely to see a book like this.
The pacing was a bit slow for me. I enjoy build up to romance as much as the next person, but goodness. Then, when things started to happen... they didn't. What? I was a bit frustrated with Mia (and even a bit with Claire). Get it together, ladies! And when they finally seem to be on the same page, we're at the end of the book.
Another thing that kind of irked me was the writing style. It felt very disjointed in some places. The time skips didn't feel natural. Big events would happen during the passing time and we'd have to go back and recount those events. It felt odd and confusing.
Those things being said, I actually enjoyed the book. It was an interesting coming of age story about a girl who happens to fall for another girl. I'm looking forward to the second book to see how Mia and Claire's relationship evolves.
Rating
4 out of 5 stars
* This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review. *
About the Author
Thirteen-year-old Emily woke up one morning with a sudden itch to write her first novel. All day, she sat through her classes, feverishly scribbling away (her rare silence probably a cherished respite for her teachers). And by the time the last bell rang, she had penned fifteen handwritten pages of angsty drivel, replete with blood-red sunsets, moody saxophone music playing somewhere far off in the night, and abandoned whiskey bottles rolling across tables. Needless to say, that singular literary accomplishment is buried in a box somewhere, ready for her later amusement.
From Melbourne, Australia, Emily was recently granted her PhD. She works part-time in academia, where she hates marking papers but loves working with her students. She also loves where she lives but travels as much as possible and tends to harbour crushes.
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga's Reviews.
Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in a physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks.
Here's what I've added to my shelves since last time...
