Fifty Shades Darker (Fifty Shades #2) by E.L. James - Review

Please bear with me folks. As I said in my previous review for Fifty Shades of Grey, I'm a little addicted to the series. While it's not the best I've ever read, I find myself staying up until all hours of the night and morning to finish these strange, dirty and addictive books.


Fifty Shades Darker jumps off right where Fifty Shades of Grey ends. I won't give too much away as that would ruin the end of book one for a lot of people, but Christian and Ana find themselves questioning their relationship and their personal beliefs (Which in Christian's case, may be a good thing). As if that weren't enough to cause some stress to this kinky couple, Grey's exes begin to come into the picture and Ana may be in danger of losing her life.

I did like this second installment better than Shades of Grey. I don't know if that's because we see a lot less of the Dominant Grey and more of the lovable Christian that Ana falls for or that I'm just past the shock you get from reading about the Dominant-submissive lifestyle. There was more of a plot in this story as Grey and Ana are not simply having sexual relations and fighting. In Fifty Shades Darker, Ana and Christian must overcome some big obstacles in their lives to be happy.

This book was more of a romance than the last one. It didn't shock me as much as the first book and so it's hard to compare the two. I did like Ana a little bit better in this book. She stood up for herself and actually stood up to Grey which I found much better for reading. Christian also opens up a lot more and we dig deeper into his past and it sheds more light on his baggage. He comes to terms with his issues and lets Ana in, little by little.

Now, don't think that we got away from the Twilight themes in this one people. This book, just like the last, was full of Twilight familiarity. There were even a few lines that were taken directly from Stephanie Meyer's books. Again, take it with a grain of salt, these books aren't a great works of art. Also, we still had a lot of repetition in this book which made for some confusing moments through out the book.

If you've read the first book, it's worth it to keep going in the series. This one gives you a little bit more closure than Fifty Shades of Grey and I think you'll like it even better than the first. I'm on to book three now!

6 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades #1) by E.L. James - Review

I know what you're thinking... this is a young adult book blog, you like young adult books, why are you reading/reviewing a very non-young adult book? To be honest, I don't really know why I picked this book  up. I've been in sort of a funk lately in regards to reading YA. I've had a hard time getting through the books I've been reading and so  I picked up Fifty Shades of Grey and dove in, hoping for a change of pace and a renewed vigor for reading.


I'm not going to do too much of a synopses for this book because I think that one of the big draws for this book is it's mystery and so I would like to not spoil that for any future readers. When I picked Fifty Shades up, I really didn't know a whole lot about the series. Sure, I was aware that it was based off of some raunchy Twilight fan fiction and that there were sex contracts and lots of sexy scenes, but other than that, I was completely in the dark. Basically, you need to know that our two main characters, clumsy and innocent  Anastasia and rich and dangerous Christian Grey (hmmm does this sound familiar?) get wrapped up in what becomes a very different and risque relationship. Their pairing is different from any relationships that they've previously had and both are in over their heads.

This is one of those books that I can't really make up my mind if I liked to or not. It's been a while since  I've been so into a book that I stay up until 3 in the morning reading. I actually contemplated calling in sick from work to keep reading, but I think that's just because I became addicted to the story and I had to read more!

One of the really weird things for me was that it's got a very predominant Twilight feel. Now I know sometimes you see similarities to the Twilight theme and I know this story as based off Twilight fan fiction, but Fifty Shades hits every single plot point...near accident, the "I'm not the guy for you", the "you dazzle me", the "I can't hide from my nature and I'm not telling you about my past", the "lion and the lamb" etc. (insert eye roll here). Literally, every plot point in Twilight was reflected in Fifty Shades. I can't say that this made me not like it, but it made it easier for me to not take this book too seriously. I read it with an open mind and a light heart. Rather than expecting this to be a masterpiece, I was expecting Bella and Edward... but with bondage. And in all honesty, that's what I got.

There were some problems that I did have with the story. It really wasn't well written. I felt that James tended to lean too heavily on the Thesaurus in an effort to make Grey and Ana sound more intelligent and cultured like Bell and Edward. Also, I found the story to be repetitive at times. For example, I'd read a paragraph and then have to check my kindle to make sure that I didn't get bumped back a few chapters... which was a bit confusing and frustrating.

The sex was explicit, obviously, and did catch me a little off guard at first as it's not your normal "Vanilla sex" that they have. At times, with Grey's background and the sex described, I did feel like I may have been reading Law & Order SVU episodes... where was detectives Stabler and Benson when all of this was happening? I don't love the characters, but they fit with the story and so I deal with their annoying tenancies.

All in all, Fifty Shades of Grey is not a book for everyone, but it's one that I couldn't put down. While it's plot is familiar, you become addicted to their fifty shades of f-ed up relationship. This book has a definite NC-17 rating, I would say anyone under 18 shouldn't pick this book up (which Im' sure most of you very well know). Welp... on to book 2.

6 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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The Goddess Legacy (Goddess Test #2.5) by Aimee Carter - Review

Today, I just finished The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter and let me tell you, it was exactly what I needed. I was really in the mood for something comfortable and familiar and I was contimplating going back and re-reading an old favorite, Clockwork Prince perhaps? But then, I received The Goddess Legacy and I dove right in. If you didn't already know, I'm a huge fan of The Goddess Test series, and while this was a little bit of a different format than the other books in the series. Because of this, I'm going to review each of the five stories as seperate short stories. I think this is the only way to be fair about the book because each story is told from a different view point and they all are very different.


The first story is from Hera/Calliope's point of view.This one is more of a take on actual mythology. It starts just after the Olympian gods defeated the Titans, their father Cronus included. Zeus has made Hera an offer to be his queen, but she is far to in love with Hades to accept. She eventually wears down and accepts Zeus which leads her down a path of unhappiness, betrayal and deceit. I really liked this particular story because Carter really took some creative liberties with Greek myth. She made the trials and tribulations of the gods modern and much more relate-able. This story also gave you a little more background as to why Calliope/Hera is the way she is towards Hades and Kate.

Next, we have a story from Aphrodite/Ava's point of view. This is the story of Aphrodite's love affair with Ares and how her relationship with Hephaestus got started. Burdened by a betrothal that she did not agree with, Aphrodite takes fate in her own hands and runs away with Ares to live the happy life that she's always dreamed of. But this life of bliss with Ares is not what it would seem and she soon finds herself in love with another. I liked the tone of this story the most. From the first few lines of this story, I was sucked into Aphrodite's whimsical story and it brought light to her relationship with Hephaestus, one that most people have trouble understanding.

Hermes/Jame's story was probably my favorite of the five. This story takes the messenger god to the mortal realm on a quest to find out why some of the Olympian gods are fading. He comes to Earth in a time of great war and poverty and acmes in contact with a group of children, living off the land in a forest. He makes his way into this group of rough and tumble orphans and soon finds what it's like to truly love and lose. I've always had a soft spot for Hermes in the other Goddess Test stories and this one made my heart melt. While a little tragic, we get to see Hermes grow up and feel a real loss in his life.

And we come to Persephone's story. This is the story of her betrothal and marriage to Hades. In this story we learn more of Hades's heart break and Persephone's as well. While I won't give too much away in this story as it would spoil some parts of Goddess Interrupted, but I will say that this brings insight to not only Hades relationship with Persephone, but also his attitudes and behavior towards Kate as well.This story made me not like Persephone (even more) and made my heart warm even more for Hades.

Last but definitely not least, we come to Hades/Henry's story. Now I was hoping to get a little bit more on the whole Kate Hades situation, but this was a short, but sweet story of how Hades lost all of the girls and came to have great hope for Kate as his future queen. While I wasn't blown away by this part of the story, it made me smile and all the more excited about the next book to come out.

This review is a little on the long side, but I felt like I really needed to explain each story as it's more of a compilation, rather than one cohesive story. Each short tale jumps from place to place and they are all set in different times through out the world's creation. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story from Carter. I loved the way she made the mythology more believable and I couldn't put this book down. If you're a fan of Aimee Carter or just Greek mythology in general, this is a great read for you.

Remember, Goddess Legacy comes out July 31st!

Happy Reading!

8 out of 10

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Liebster Blog Award!

Well my day started off on an awesome note this morning! I was nominated by The Book Lover's Report for the Liebster Blog Award! Which is pretty exciting if I do say so myself. If you're unfamiliar with the Liebster Award, this is a special award where bloggers who have under $200 followers can be nominated by other award winners!

Now there are some rules...

Rules:

1. Each person/blogger tells eleven facts about themselves/ answers the questions the other blogger posted (you'll see what I mean in a minute).

2. Answer the eleven questions the tagger (blogger who nominated me) has posted, and then give eleven questions for the people you tagged.

3. Choose eleven people to tag and link to them in the post 

4. Alert them to your tagging

5. No tag backs.

6. Thank the blogger who nominated you.

My Fun Facts!

1.  My favorite color is green.
2. I'm a Michigan State Spartan alumni (Go Green!)
3. I'm extremely ambitious when it comes to Pinterest crafts but to date, I've only crafted one thing.
4. My best friends nickname is Mucki, but her real name is Patrizia which isn't any easier to say or remember than  Mucki.
5. I have a cat named Sirius Black and a dog named Spector. My fun fact is that as a self-professed cat lady, I often times wonder why they don't sell wine at Petsmart. 
6. I love quotes and while most of them aren't the inspirational kind, each one has something to do with books, reading or having a love affair with a library.
7. Catch phrase at the moment: "Nerd Alert!"
8. I moved every three years as a kid and so I've lived a lot of really cool places.
9. I'm a huge country music fan and get made fun of for my slight southern accent (see my pronunciation of oil, Virginia and you all)
10. The coolest place I've ever visited is Phuket, Thailand when I was a kid and I'd love to visit even more places in Southeast Asia.
11. I majored in East Asian Languages and Cultures at MSU and I get a lot of weird looks when I speak Chinese (says the little blonde).

Questions from The Book Lover's Report!

1. How long have you been blogging?  About 6 months and loving it :)

2. Where are you from? I was born in North Carolina, but I'm currently living in Michigan.

3. Do you have any ARCs or Galleys right now? What are they? I do! I just finished The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter and I also have... The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton, Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen and a couple others but those are the ones I'm most excited about :)

4. Where would you go, if you could go anywhere in the world? I would love to go to Greece. I'm a huge mythology fanatic and I'd love to be a tourist there... fanny pack included.

5. What made you want to blog about books? I love to read and I wanted a way to record what I read. Also, I wanted to get better at writing. I've always wanted to write, but I've always been working on term papers and essays so my blog is sort of like an outlet for creative writing :)

6. What's your favorite book quote? This is a tough one. As stated in my fun facts, I'm quote whore so I'm going to pick one of my favorites at random... "One must always be careful of books and what is inside of them, for words have the power to change us." - Clockwork Angel, Cassandra Clare

7. What's your favorite color? Green!

8. If you could talk to anybody (no matter if they're dead or alive), who would it be and why? If I could talk to anyone it would probably be Emma Watson. I know that's nerdy and weird and you were probably expecting me to say Ernest Hemingway or J.R.R. Tolkien but Emma is my age and she's done some pretty amazing things with her life. I feel like anytime I see her do interviews, I just want to have a little chat with her. She seems pretty cool. 

9. What's your favorite food? That's a big question. I'd say second to my love of books, is food. I love to eat. Because I'm originally from the south, as is my family, I'd have to say seafood. I mean good seafood that you get from a little hole in the wall restaurant off of the beach that only locals know about. Ugh, I'm dying. 

10. What's your favorite book? Another tough one. I love reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. In all honesty, I think I could read it all day. But, my all time favorite book is The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce in the Alanna series. Huge fan of Miss Pierce.

11. How many books are you currently reading and what are they? Tonight, I will be staring Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and I'm currently reading the Infernal Devices series as well. Cassandra Clare comforts me :)

And I will nominate...

Bluest Ribbon
Absolute Forest of Words
Adventures in Biblioland
Empire of Books
The Queen of Fiction
YA Sweet Escape
Potter, Percy and I
Mrs. Reader Pants
Beastie Books
The Fairytale Nerd
Owl Review A Book

Lastly, my questions for my nominees:

1. Where is the coolest place you've ever traveled?

2. What is the craziest thing you've ever done?

3. How long have you been blogging?

4. What book are you most excited about coming out in 2013?

5. What's your favorite YA series?

6. What's your favorite book quote?

7. Who is your favorite author?

8. What's your favorite breakfast food?

9. What is the best thing about blogging?

10. Have you ever met any of your favorite authors?

11. What are you planning on reading next?

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Of Poseidon by Anna Banks - Review

This book was especially exciting to read because I was just able to meet Anna Banks at one of her stops on the Fierce Reads tour. Let me say that the witty and hilarious way in which Banks writes her books and portrays her characters reflects her real life personality. This woman is hilarious and meeting her in person made reading her book that much more enjoyable.


Of Poseidon is a story of a young girl named Emma and a boy named Galen. Galen, a prince of the Syrena must search the shores for a girl he believes can communicate with fish. As he tries to accomplish his task, he quite literally runs into Emma and her friend Chloe on the beaches of Florida. While he is sure that there is something special about Emma, he's not positive that she is the one he's searching for. After tragedy strikes and Emma begins to change, Galen finds that she is the girl he is looking for and is possibly the only one who can save his people.

Now before starting this book, I was a little hesitant to start another story about merpeople because after reading Lies Beneath, I really didn't think I could handle another book about sea folk. This one did surprise me and I ended up loving it. One of my favorite things about this book is the humor with which Banks writes. Her character's banter left me quite literally laughing out loud and the playful tone of this book made it so that I could hardly put it down. Overall, I really welcomed Bank's fresh style of writing.

I also appreciated the tone of this book. Just like I felt with The Selection, I felt like this book had a very soft tone that left readers happy and content with the story as a whole. While the tension in this book didn't leave me on the edge of my seat and the cliffhanger could be seen from a mile away, this book fit my mood exactly. If you're looking for an intense thrill ride, this book isn't for you, but if you're looking for a comforting swim through the warm waters of the Florida Panhandle, this is a book to pick up.

7 out of 10

Happy Reading

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The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith - Review

Well friends, this one isn't going to be pretty. I'll try and keep things short, sweet and to the point, but let me preface my review by letting you know that this was such a hard book for me to finish. I had to try so very hard not to quit this book midway through, but I wanted to finish it out and give it a chance.


I was first drawn to these books by L.J. Smith because I am a huge fan of the CW show, Vampire Diaries. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should definably check it out! While the show does tend to be a little over the top dramatic and sometimes quite cheesy, it's so easy to fall in love with the characters on the show. Also, who wouldn't want to look at Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley and the other sexy men on the show who happen to forget about shirts... a lot. That being said, I wouldn't read the books… I think I am in the minority because I absolutely did not like these books. While this may have had something to do with the fact that I did begin by watching the show that is very, very loosely based on the books, I still did not enjoy this read and I’m about to bring down the hammer…

In the books, Elena is a selfish and mean (for those of you who watch the show, she is basically Caroline circa season 1) and she quickly falls in love with Stephen and Damon, who quite obviously are vampires. I’m trying not to be too harsh here, but that is really all that the story bears telling. I think this was one of the first times where I really wanted the main character to be put in her place, or quite honestly, killed by a vampire. But you know those girls that hang with vamps, they just don't seem to die. I do appreciate Smith's different approach to vampires as well as her attempt to make the main character not very likable, but it just didn't work for me.

I went on to read a few other books in the series to see if I was possibly just needing to get over the first book hump, but I was sorely disappointed. The characters are under developed and the plot was a patchwork at best. As a reader, you were left with so many questions and almost felt a little confused. I think this book was a shell of what could have been great, had Smith tried something that little closer to what the plot became once it was turned into a show CW show.

1 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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New Design from Blogovation!

As most of you have probably noticed, Abibliophobic has gotten a face lift! The lovely and talented Cierra from Blogovation Design and Books Ahoy has done a beautiful job on giving my blog a new design.


For bloggers out there looking for a revamp themselves, Cierra is the person to go to. I literally had no idea what I wanted or didn't want, but I was picky. Does that make sense at all? No, of course it doesn't... I'm a little erratic, I know. Cierra took my crazy in stride and did sample after sample until I finally decided what I did want. She had perfect vision and my design is spot on. I'm completely in love with every aspect of my blog design and it's all thanks to Cierra.

Currently, she is running a summer special! Get her premium package that is originally $60 for only $40. It's a great deal and I would recommend Cierra to any blogger looking for a new design! Let me know what you guys think of the new design!

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Cover Reveal! Lullaby (Watersong #2) by Amanda Hocking

So today, one of my favorite authors, Amanda Hocking, revealed the cover for the second book in the Watersong series called Lullaby! The first book in the series, Wake, comes out this August. She also revealed in her post that Lullaby's release date has been bumped up to this November! Thank you Miss Hocking!

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Giveaway #5! My favorite eBooks!

It's giveaway number 5 time! Well, as most of you very well know, I'm a huge fan of self-published eBooks! A lot of times, I think eBooks get a bad rap because people don't think they are of good quality writing, that they are publisher's rejects or that they aren't worth the time it takes to read them. Well, as a frequent reader of self-published eBooks, I hope to prove the naysayers wrong. One of the best examples of the wonders of self-published eBooks is Amanda Hocking. Her titles rose to popularity on the eBook market and are currently published with St. Martin press. Her books are simply wonderful and are a great example of what treasures one can find when reading self published books.


So, I've decided to hold a giveaway of some of my favorite eBooks that I've read, or heard great things about as of late. Want to enter and don't have an eReader? No problem, you can grab the Kindle iCloud reader and read right on your computer. An inovation that makes it possible for anyone to read these wonderful books. So enter the giveaway and be dazzled by the creative and fun works of the self-published author!

I've picked out a few of my favorite eBooks or eBooks that I've heard are great from other bloggers and friends. There will be 3 winners and each will get to chose the book of their choice! I have also put links to the books on amazon.com and if I have reviewed the book, a link to my reviews as well. Thanks guys and good luck :)

Here are the contest rules:

• Must be 13 years or older!
• It's an International giveaway, so the giveaway is open to everyone!
• I will be giving away the books via amazon.com, so you'll need to make an account in order to use the voucher for the books!
• I will announce the winners on the blog and send you an email. You will then have 72 hours to respond to the email in order to be the winner!

Now for the books you can choose from:

Grey Eyes (Book One, Forever Trilogy) by Quinteria Ramey and Brandon Alston    

Vampire Shift (Kiera Hudson Series One, Book One) by Tim O'Rourke

Hollowland (The Hollows Book 1) by Amanda Hocking

My Blood Approves (My Blood Approves Book 1) by Amanda Hocking

Virtue by Amanda Hocking

Lost by Lori Devoti

Turned (Book #1 in the Vampire Journals) by Morgan Rice

Chosen (The Seeker Saga) by Sarah Swan

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Vampire Hollows (Kiera Hudson Series Book 5) by Tim O'Rourke - Review

Well it's been a while since I finished book 4 in the Kiera Hudson series by Tim O'Rourke, but I finally sat down to read the last book and finished it. I can't tell you what took me so long, but I am glad that I took a little bit of time between the books. It made reading the conclusion that much more exciting and I was able to rediscover what I loved about O'Rourke's books.


In this exciting and adventurous last installment of the first Kiera Hudson series, Kiera and the crew have finally made it below the Earth's surface and into the Hollows. Their mission is to get Kiera to the Dust Palace where she must make her decision as to which race should remain alive, the human race or the Vampyrus. As if that wasn't enough for Kiera to deal with, her friends and loved ones are being picked off one by one by a traitor in her group. She believes that the mastermind behind the war that is brewing, Elias Munn, is among her group of friends. Is it Potter, is it Luke, is it Isidor, Jack Seth perhaps?  As her friends begin falling all around her, she fears that Munn has already fallen in love with her, but has she fallen for him too? Which race should she choose to destroy? Kiera goes quite literally to the ends of the Earth to try and save her friends and live up to the greatness she was destined to have.

I quite liked this conclusion to the series, in the simplest sense because I was able to see the Hollows. I was so anxious to see how O'Rourke would describe this new world underneath our own, and I was not disappointed. I loved his imaginative description of a unseen world within the Earth's crust. What I think I liked most was that it was believable. What's so hard to believe about a world beneath our own that is lit during their pseudo-day by a heating element straight from the Earth's core? I type this as I'm watching a History Channel show about the evidence present in ancient cultures that Earth was visited by Aliens, but still! It's fun to think that another world exists beneath our own. O'Rourke does a stellar job with his world building and has you craving for in invitation into the depths of the Hollows.

His character development is right on par yet again. While I will not giveaway who our elusive Elias Munn is, you will be surprised. I thought many times through out the book I knew exactly who Munn was, but then I would be surprised again. I would have liked to see a little bit more of Potter's snarky comments, but when do you not want more? This was also a bit more of a serious story and so our characters tended to be a little more stressed out than normal, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Lastly, I do want to mention the end of the book. Of course I will not be giving away the ending, I just wanted to mention that I feel that O'Rourke did a superb job of setting up his second sereis. It was one of those endings that didn't leave you with a huge cliff hanger, but made you cry out in joy. Generally, I hate when authors set up a sequel in the end of a book, but this ending made me so excited to read the next book. That's all I'm saying about our ending and O'Rourke's set up for the new Kiera Hudson series, but you'll be happy. It's hard to believe that a book so full of vampires, blood, guts, death and war leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy inside, but somehow, someway, O'Rourke has outdone himself and I cannot wait to begin reading Dead Flesh (Kiera Hudson Series 2, Book 1)!

9 out of 10!

Happy Reading :)

For further reading: Haven't heard of the Kiera Hudson series? We'll, you're in luck! I've got reviews for all 6 books that are spoiler free! Check them out because these stories and characters have quickly jumped to the top of my list of favorites!

Vampire Shift

Vampire Wake

Vampire Hunt

Vampire Breed

Potter's Story

Also, check out Tim's website! He's written some other really great stories and is currently working on a new Kiera Hudson series!

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The Selection by Kiera Cass - Review

I picked this book up after my roommate stole it from my shelves and read it herself. She couldn't stop talking about the book and so I caved and dove in! After starting, I finished in two days and was cursing Kiera Cass for not writing book two fast enough!

We begin our story in the future country that came out of a ruined United States, now called Illea, where an 8 leveled caste system is upheld. Our main character, America, is in the 5th caste and her family members are artists and singers by trade.Within the Royal family, it is custom for the Prince to find his wife through the process of Selection. Girls in the country of Illea can put their names in a drawing to be one of the 35 girls selected to compete for Prince Maxon's hand in marriage and the crown. While America wouldn't dream of entering because she is far too in love with another man named Aspen, through a series of events she finds herself entering, and of course is chosen. The Selection takes us through the trials and tribulations of America and her competitors as she finds that the Prince may not be as horrible as she had once thought and she begins to question all of her carefully made plans for her future.

The Selection is what I like to think of as a good blend of The Hunger Games, The Bachelor and Cinderella, in a very, very good way! I was a little wary of this book because of it's slight similarity to The Hunger Games. The distopian future theme, the drawing of names and a few other parts of the book felt eerily similar to THG. I ended up having to check myself. Books, of course, have similarities. Just because Suzanne Collins is brilliant and came up with a cool idea, doesn't mean that other people don't have similar, yet very awesome ideas.

I really couldn't put this book down. I think the best way to describe this book is subtly addictive. While I've been reading books like City of Lost Souls and Insurgent, that are very fast paced and full of action and violence, this book was such a relief because it wasn't intense the whole time. I felt comforted reading this book and I felt I could relate to the characters.

I love our main character, America. She is strong in her own right and really fights for her beliefs. Gotta love a heroine who is strong at heart. I also loved the charming Prince Maxon, but I really didn't like her other love interest, Aspen. I thought that he was a little too selfish and I found myself wanting to kick some sense into him a few times. While he professes to be thinking only of America and her well being, it's clear that he's selfishly thinking of his pride the entire relationship.His selfishness really bugged me, but didn't stop me from falling in love with The Selection.

Well done Kiera Cass! I can't wait for book two!

Also, check out my post on The Selection coming to CW soon!

8 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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