(Review) It Happened One Christmas by Leslie Kelly

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Title: It Happened One Christmas
Author: Leslie Kelly
Published: November 15, 2011 (Harlequin)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: Physical copy borrowed from the library

Summary: Six years ago, Ross Mitchell and Lucy Fleming shared a hot holiday weekend in Manhattan, back when he was just a hard-bodied guy in a tool belt and she was an impulsive photography student. Fast-forward a few Decembers: Ross and Lucy meet again, by chance, at his office Christmas party. And when they find themselves alone and snowed in after hours, it's not long before they're making their own body heat—again. Only this time, the sex is better than ever! But is it just another holiday romp between the sheets? Or will Lucy and Ross finally get to keep what they really want this year—each other!

A while back, I was struck by the Christmas impulse and grabbed a bunch of holiday themed Harlequins from the library. This was one of them. It was a fun way to spend a slow afternoon at work! It was a sweet love story that I very much enjoyed reading.

I liked the way the story was presented. Ross and Lucy had a slight history from years before, and their new meeting paralleled their old in many ways. The stories unfolded at just the right pace. The flashback integrated well into the present, and it was nice to compare and contrast the two.

I liked that it was the woman who was the Scrooge figure in the book (because heaven forbid you have a Christmas romance wherein one of the characters was not anti-Christmas) with the man who loved it. It made a fun change to read a hero who loved Christmas, because that just makes me smile. Also, Lucy didn't just hate Christmas to hate Christmas; it was because of a tragic accident that had happened years earlier.

As for the interactions between Lucy and Ross, they had some great chemistry from the very beginning. And I will forever and always love the locked/snowed in trope. It is a great chance to work out issues and perhaps steam up some windows (which is obviously going to happen in a Blaze).

Christmas played a great part in the story. It was actually relevant, not just tossed in there for Christmas marketing, which happened in the other "Christmas" Harlequin I read around the same time. The story would not have been the same without it. And what a great story it was! It was a little heartbreaking at times and incredibly sweet. It totally sneaked in there and made me cry during the epilogue. Darn the Christmas sappiness! (Except I totally loved every minute of it.)

If she’d woken up this morning to find her bed had floated up into the sky on a giant helium balloon, she couldn't have been more surprised than she was right now.

---

“I can tell you what it’s like,” she said. “It’s like waking up one day and realizing someone’s torn half your heart out of your chest. Your life is no longer about the number of years you’ve lived, or the ones you have in front of you. It becomes measured by before and after that one moment.”

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Indie Mania: [Review] Reminiscence by C. Marie Mosley

Title: Reminiscence
Author: C. Marie Mosley
Published: May 30th 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance.
Rating: ★★★
Goodreads summary:

Can someone’s entire life – the only one they have ever known – be a complete lie? The truth is out ... and Coralie Collier is about the find just what lies within that truth - the truth about herself, the truth about her heritage, and the truth about her purpose...

In Reminiscence, lies a story of a natural born heroine, Coralie Collier --- she just doesn’t know it yet. Coralie lives a simple, almost boring life, that is, until things in her life start to get interesting. Outlandish dreams, bizarre and dangerous encounters, and missing pieces to her memory, are all incredibly important fragmented clues that could help Coralie in finding out her true identity. Along with these clues, and the help of an old family friend, maybe there is a chance for Coralie to find out what is going on around her before it’s too late … and her true purpose has been compromised. All of the characters’ lives within the story swirl around her – and they all know the truth - the truth about the lives they were all born to live... Could there be more to her life than she ever knew? Could there really be more to her surroundings than meets the eye?
Get drawn into Coralie’s world and explorations as she attempts to discover what secrets are hidden in her past and what journeys are in store for her future.

*Thanks to the author for supplying me a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review*

Emma's thoughts:

Reminiscence is a beautiful novel about a girl named Coralie Collier who has no idea about the true nature of her existence. Her whole life, her parents have been protecting her, lying to her, kept her completely in the dark, and the consequences of their actions are finally catching up to them. 

That being said, they seem to control everything in Coralie's life. She's a sweet, lovely girl, but she really has absolutely no idea what's going on around her. She can't even walk to the library without her mother worrying about her. But, somehow, she loves her parents. They seem like nice people, sure, but they take overprotective and overbearing to a whole new level. Yes, there's a reason for it, but sigh, I think Coralie could've done with a longer leash. 

Court, the new, mysterious boy who just popped out of nowhere is charming and irresistible. Heart-warming and delightful, but the connection between the two was a little insta-love. He just can't seem to get enough of Coralie and she can't get enough of him... after knowing him like two days. There's Alex too, who literally came out from nowhere and also is a whole new definition of 'stalker'.

Coralie has no friends. This really bothered me. Why does she have no friends? Did she not have a life before Court came along? That's the thing with most novels. The back story of the protagonist is either unrealistic or non-existent. Coralie being all pretty and sweet, you'd think someone would've liked her and wanted to be her friend before Court came along. I just... I don't get it.

Reminiscence does have a bit of action in it. Too bad Coralie can't remember it. It's a curious aspect in the novel that she can do all these things but not know about them and not remember them later. Frustrating, slightly? Yes. The dialogue was also a little frustrating to read. There was just too much use of ... and more ... and ... where periods should be ... or even commas ...

I feel like the book ended too soon. I finished it in under two hours and was left feeling a bit deflated. Reminiscence feels more like a prologue than anything. There were too many questions as opposed to answers. Coralie was just on the verge of something big... and it just ended! I really just wish there was more, sigh.

Overall rating: 3 stars~A short compelling read.

First:

The wind blew a warm breeze across his body. Summer was coming. The Watcher could feel it in the air.

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[Review] Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien

Title: Prized
Author: Caragh M. O'Brien
Series: Trilogy (Birthmarked #2)
Published: November 8th 2011 by Roaring Brook Press
Rating: ★★★☆
Goodreads Summary:

Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole? 

Emma's thoughts: 
 **SPOILERS FOR BIRTHMARKED**
When I started this book, I was really, super, extremely excited. Even though Birthmarked wasn't a mind-blowing five stars for me, I believed that there was so much potential and possibilities for the story. I can't say I was disappointed, but when I finished the last page, I was void of excitement and anticipation for the next book.

First of all: LEON. Okay, I was dying for him to reappear in this book after the tragic separation in Birthmarked, but when he talks to Gaia for the first time... I. just. wanted. to. slap. him. I hate that he changed so much, and all he ever was angry, frustrated, scary, and downright rude. He does redeem himself later on, but I was just so disappointed by him! But then again, he does have his reasons to be mad at Gaia. I was mad at Gaia. She's a strong protagonist, but sometimes she just made the stupidest decisions. She's awfully stubborn, and it's mostly admirable, until the joke's on her. The Martrarc made sure of that. Well, concerning the Martrarc, I was mildly confused about her. She was the royal bitch of the society, and also blind. No, I mean, literally. It's no surprise that she's portrayed as the evil mastermind that naturally annoyed the hell out of me, playing Gaia every chance she got. And it's just downright mean to take Maya away from Gaia! She was good for her part though.

And ohh, the Chardo brothers♥! Peter not so much, but Will! I'm sad that Peter had the more dominant part in the novel, but the little things Will did made me giddy! It was everything Leon would've done, if he hadn't turned into such a jackass..! Though Will disappointed greatly at one point near the beginning, I found myself forgetting that not much later. Peter on the other hand, every time he came around, I just wanted to tell him to 'LEAVE.' He can try be all stupidly cute he wants to be, but I am never going to like him! *crosses arms in determination*

Honestly, the whole Sylum society is a bit fucked up. The ratio of girls to boys is one to nine, and yet, girls rule. To me, that's just a tad bit unrealistic. Say, it's 1800 men, and 200 women. Who do you honestly think would win? The actual logistics behind why girls are only born one out of every ten times is really quite interesting, and to say the least, disturbing. As well as the mystery why no one could leave Sylum when they decided to stay, without dying anyways. That confused me a bit. It was explained, but O'Brien never really explained how. I guess though, in a world that doesn't exist, it's hard to elaborate on things like that.

{Okay, I just had dinner, and the woman I'm staying with me told me I need learn how to do stuff around the house since the boys don't have to, but I'm a girl, so I'm required to do housework. I must know how to cook and clean. I must wash and sweep. DO YOU KNOW HOW MAD THIS MADE ME?! I hate the fact that because I'm a girl, I have to this, and I can't do that, because that's what men do. This is reversed in Prized, but the same concept applies. I love that in this book, there's the clear, obvious moral that both men and women should have equal rights. Because, I shouldn't have to do anything I don't want, nobody should. And I don't even know these people for goodness sake!}

Anyways, waay off topic.

The ending of the book, to me, was, I don't know... too ideal? It was cute, and it made me happy, but then I thought about it again. It definitely leaves an exciting plot line for the final novel, but the only real thing that bothered me was Gaia's position. Yes, she's awesome and all, but was that really necessary?

Overall, I did enjoy it. I did love and hate parts. The chemistry between Gaia and Leon in Birthmarked didn't really make it in here, unfortunately. The love 'square' was a little lol worthy, but I really hope it'll sort itself out in the last book. Even though I'm not dying for it to come out, I'll be sure to buy it!

Rating: 3.5 stars~ My expectations were probably too high, but it's good for a sequel!  

First:

 She grabbed the hilt of her knife and scrambled backward into the darkness, holding the baby close in her other arm.

Favourite:

"...Maybe you could ask eight hundred people to carry my cot."

"How do you think we got you here?"

Teaser:

 She was absolutely not going to ask him if his sperm were viable.

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