Where There's a Witch by Madelyn Alt

Where There's a Witch by Madelyn Alt


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Overall, I really like this series a lot. There were some really good things happening in this particular installment, especially in the romance department. If there's one thing I hate about the Stephanie Plum series, it's that Stephanie doesn't progress with either of the men in her life. I find that so irritating, that I no longer look forward to reading the series. However, I'm pleased to see that this series isn't following that same pattern. It appears as though Maggie is making a little more headway in her love life and I'm glad to see it. I can only take so much waffling between men before I lose sympathy for your situation.

The biggest negative? It has to be the clues for the reveal and how the main characters never seem to figure things out until it's too late. I figured out who did the crime long before all of the clues made sense. But, they made sense to me a LONG time before they made sense to the characters, which I found a little disappointing. However, I did enjoy the ending a lot more than I thought I would. So, even though the main characters seemed a little dense at times, I felt more than satisfied with how it all went down. I look forward to reading more in this series and I hope the author continues to let Maggie's love life develop. :)

Under the Rose by Diana Peterfreund

Under the Rose: An Ivy League Novel by Diana Peterfreund


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'm just a sucker for this series already! Even when things seem a bit far-fetched, I still find myself not wanting to put it down. In this installment, we're still following Amy's journey at Eli college and the drama she's involved in with her secret society membership. This time there's a traitor that is leaking information that could be potentially damaging and it is having a huge impact on all of the society members. I felt really bad for Amy a few times because it seemed like so many people in her life were not what they seemed. On the negative side, I had a little trouble suspending my disbelief at some things at times. In the first novel, for some reason, it all seemed totally plausible to me. But, this time around, I was a little surprised at some of the things I was expected to swallow. However, it was entertaining and I look forward to reading more of this series. Even if we can no longer follow Amy and the established characters, I would still be interested. :)

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book just didn't grab me as much as I thought it would. I did enjoy the story from the villain's point of view, at least to some degree. But, I think the author should have used a different hero to tell the story. When I was done, I was very disappointed with Fatale's story and just didn't care for her or her thoughts. I would have enjoyed the story much more from Lily's or Damsel's point of view. I don't know. It just wasn't what I was expecting and I was a bit disappointed. I can see that the author spent a lot of time thinking about characters and what they would be like. But, I think he missed the mark on execution and motivations, just a bit. I believe this was the author's first novel, however, and I would like to revisit him in the future when he's had a little more time to hone his craft. I see a lot of potential in his work and would like to see him develop.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult


rating: 2 of 5 stars
Yet again, this book is very well crafted but I didn't fully connect to the characters. Maybe because I waited so long to read it, it also seemed quite a bit predictable. I'm sure hearing what a tear jerker it is set me up to remain a little detached while reading. The closest I came to tearing up was the epilogue, but the tears never fell. I'm at a bit of a loss with this author. Obviously, she takes her craft seriously and I respect that. But, I'm just missing out on the emotional ride she's trying to take me on. I don't mind the multiple voices or the dramatic twists at the end. However, I hate that I'm not emotionally invested enough to truly care what happens to any of the main characters. At the very end, I'm more concerned about how the lawyer and his dog turn out than anyone and that's not what I should feel. I think I'm going to take a break from trying to read any more of her books right now. Oh well. :(