Review for Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Warning 
This is a review for the third and final book in the Burn for Burn trilogy and will contain spoilers from the previous books.

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release: 9th October 2014
Genre: YA, Thriller
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"New Year's Eve ended with a bang and Mary, Kat and Lillia may not be prepared for what is to come. After Rennie's death, Kat and Lillia try to put the pieces together of what happened to her. They both blame themselves. If Lillia hadn't left with Reeve...If Kat had only stayed with Rennie...Things could have been different. Now they will never be the same. Only Mary knows the truth about that night. About what she is. She also knows the truth about Lillia and Reeve falling in love, about Reeve being happy when all he deserves is misery, just like the misery he caused her. Now their childish attempts at revenge are a thing of the past and Mary is out for blood. Will she leave anything in her wake or will all that remain be ashes?"

Review 
The Burn for Burn series came as such a pleasant surprise to me. When I first picked up Burn for Burn I wasn’t sure if I’d like it but after devouring the first two books in the trilogy back to back it quickly became one of my favourite series. Ashes to Ashes was easily one of my most anticipated releases of 2014 – I couldn’t wait to see how this series would conclude!

For the most part Ashes to Ashes delivered everything I love about these books. The book begins with Lillia and Kat grieving over Rennie’s death whilst Mary comes to terms with the fact that she’s a ghost and begins to question her existence and what she was put here to do. Mary’s been a ticking time bomb throughout this whole series and her hunger for vengeance really builds the tension throughout this entire book.

I was really enjoying this book up until the very end. I was expecting the showdown of all showdowns with Mary’s anger building to a crescendo but it all felt very rushed and didn’t have the impact I was hoping for.

I also felt the same way regarding that three page epilogue. The girl’s futures felt really random to me and I didn’t really understand the choices that lead to them. Three pages to wrap up these characters stories didn’t feel like long enough and for me the ending felt detached from the rest of the series and lacked emotional impact.

Overall I enjoyed this series as a whole and this book for the most part but unfortunately those last few chapters have tainted my love for these books.

October Round Up and Book of the Month

October's Book of the Month is It’s Not Me It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane

Firstly, I want to apologize that this post is coming a little later than usual. The main reason being that it's took me a few days to finally settle on a book of the month! I read three books last month that were equally wonderful in different ways but in the end I decided to go with Mhairi McFarlane's new novel. All three books brought out different emotions in me but It's Not Me It's You is the one that brought out the biggest range of emotions. It's a rare thing when you find yourself crying both happy and sad tears over the same book. It's been a while since I enjoyed a book as thoroughly as I did this one. If you haven't checked out Mhairi McFarlane yet and enjoy Rainbow Rowell's adult books then she's an author you're going to love. It's Not Me It's You gave me the warm fuzzies and had me hysterically laughing to myself. If you'd like to read more of my thoughts on this book check out my review here.

*** Be prepared for this reaction when reading this book *** 

 Read in October
81.) Rooms by Lauren Oliver (3.5*)
82.) Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle (2.5*)
83.) Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (4*)
84.) Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley (4.5*)
85.) Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson (4*)
86.) Talon by Julie Kagawa (2.5*)
87.) Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas (3.5*)
88.) The Fall by Bethany Griffin (2*)
89.) The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey (4.5*)
90.) It's Not Me It's You by Mhairi McFarlane (4.5*)
91.) Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (3.5*)

Monthly Book Awards
Best Plot: The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey
Best Writing: It's Not Me It's You by Mhairi McFarlane
Best Cover: Rooms by Lauren Oliver
Best Characters: It's Not Me It's You by Mhairi McFarlane
Best Ending: The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey
Best Romance: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
Most un-put-down-able: Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Most Memorable: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
Best Moral: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: It's Not Me It's You, Lies We Tell Ourselves and The Girl With All The Gifts

Books I’m Looking Forward to Being Released in November
The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
Girl Online by Zoe Sugg
The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby
The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown 

What was the best book you read in October? 

 And what are you looking forward to reading this month?

Review for It’s Not Me It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane

It’s Not Me It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane 
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release: 6th November 2014
Genre: Chick-lit, Women’s Fiction
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review




Synopsis:

"Delia Moss isn’t quite sure where she went wrong. When she proposed and discovered her boyfriend was sleeping with someone else – she thought it was her fault. When she realised life would never be the same again – she thought it was her fault. And when he wanted her back like nothing had changed – Delia started to wonder if perhaps she was not to blame… From Newcastle to London and back again, with dodgy jobs, eccentric bosses and annoyingly handsome journalists thrown in, Delia must find out where her old self went – and if she can ever get her back."

Review
Delia Moss lives a very ordinary life and she’s quite content with her lot. She lives with her long term boyfriend (soon to be fiancée when Delia pops the question) and their scruffy rescue dog and has a job that she neither loves nor hates so who is she to complain?

When Delia finds out on the night she proposes that Paul has been having an affair she’s pushed to take a leap into the unknown and start afresh in London. It’s there that Delia takes a good hard look at her choices and realises that she’s always picked comfort and safety rather than gambling on what she really wants when it comes to her career and love life. As Delia begins to open up to every day acts of bravery she discovers that any risk that could end in happiness is always worth taking.

It’s Not Me It’s You reads like a classic chick-lit. I cried both happy and sad tears reading this book. In one chapter I’d be giggling away to myself and with the turn of a page I’d be physically fist pumping for Delia. Delia is a ridiculously relatable heroine it’s very easy to like her and want what’s best for her.

It’s Not Me It’s You is one of those books where the characters are so hilarious and solid that before long it feels like you’re reading about your best friends. Even Paul who I would normally dislike by default for cheating on Delia had his good qualities so I could see why Delia loved him and how easy it would be for her to go back to what she knows. Mhairi McFarlane has this magical way of making these characters on the page feel like they’re made from flesh and blood with histories and futures outside of this story.

Initially I was a bit intimidated by the size of It’s Not Me It’s You but despite being over 500 pages I never felt like the book was overly long or boring. I thoroughly enjoyed every sentence and the pages seemed to turn themselves with no conscious effort on my part.

Hilarious and warm-fuzzy inducing It’s Not Me It’s You is the most enjoyable book I’ve read in a long time. Fans of Rainbow Rowell will love Mhairi McFarlane.

Letterbox Love (42)

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

Hi guys! I'm back with another book haul this week. I've got a really exciting mix here of books that I've bought and books that I've received for review including festive reads, 2015 proof copies and a couple of new releases. I hope you enjoy being nosy at what's new to my shelves and are having a brilliant weekend!

It's Not Me, It's You by Mhairi McFarlane (Proof Copy, For Review)
I've had the worst headache all weekend and I wanted something funny and feel-good to read so I decided to pick this one up. I'm a hundred pages in and really enjoying it! A lot of reviews have said that this is Mhairi's best book yet and from what I've read so far I completely agree! Here's hoping the rest of the book is just as brilliant.
A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby (For Review)
I read the first book in this series A Proper Family Holiday when I went on holiday in September and I could not put it down or stop giggling! I'm so excited to spend some time with the hilarious Bensons in the build up to Christmas!
The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews (Bought)
Carole Matthews is one of my favourite chick-lit authors and her last Christmas book Calling Mrs Christmas is quite possibly my favourite Christmas book of all time so I have high hopes for this one!
The Christmas Surprise by Jenny Colgan (Bought)
This is Jenny's third Rosie Hopkins' book and I'm really looking forward to catching up with Rosie and Stephen again soon.

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin (For Review)
I've been so excited about this book since I found out about it this Spring and now I finally have a copy to read and review! I'm on a blog tour for this book so I expect I'll be picking it up very soon.
The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig (Proof Copy, For Review)
If you haven't heard of The Fire Sermon yet then let me be the first to tell you that this is a 2015 release you want on your radar. The early reviews have been phenomenal and there is a lot of early hype in the blogosphere. I'm hoping to get to this in either December or January and I hope it lives up to my expectations!
Winterspell by Claire Legrand (Bought)
Winterspell is one of my most anticipated releases of 2014. Since I was a kid I've been spellbound with The Nutcracker. I've been to see the ballet a couple of times and have watched several film adaptations so when I found out that a dark YA re-telling was coming out can you imagine my excitement!? This has been praised by Marissa Meyer whose books I love so I really hope this one is as good as I want it to be.
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (Bought)
I mean, we're all pretty excited for this one, right? I absolutely love The Raven Boys and Maggie's writing in general and will be reading this one hopefully in the next week or two.

   

The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown (E-book, Netgalley)
I haven't read any of Alexandra Brown's books yet but I know a lot of my blog friends love her Carrington's series. I believe that this is the first in a new series from this author and I am really excited to have it on my Christmas TBR.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (E-book, Netgalley)
This is another 2015 release that is getting a lot of early love. This is being pitched as the next big thriller with praise from Before I Go To Sleep author S J Watson blurbed on the cover. I have re-kindled my love for adult thrillers this year and am glad I have such an exciting book in the genre lined up for 2015.
Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell (E-Book, Netgalley)
This sounds like it could be Jill Mansell's most emotional book yet! It's definitely one of the chick-lit 2015 releases I'm most excited for. If you like emotional life affirming reads I urge you to check out the synopsis for this one.

 As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^ 

 Happy reading till next time!

The Scary and Supernatural: My Top Picks for Halloween Reading 2014!

I don't know about you but I love diving into some darker reads during the build up to Halloween! I love lighting a fall candle and getting snuggled under my blanket with either a scary or supernatural book to celebrate the season. Today I'm sharing the books that I think would make perfect Halloween reading for anybody looking for books to add to their TBR. I'm separating my picks by genre so there's something here for everyone ranging from horror to paranormal. All books mentioned have been read and enjoyed by me.

Horror 

Red Hill by Jamie McGuire 

Red Hill was my favourite Halloween read of last year. This is a thrilling adult apocalyptic horror fest that's perfect for fans of The Walking Dead or the movie Contagion. This book balances out nail biting survival with characters you'll fall in love with which only makes the worry that they're not all going to make it escalate. I was absolutely gripped by this zombie novel with heart!

Say Her Name by James Dawson 

Say Her Name has been hailed as the creepiest YA book ever written. This is James Dawson's take on the legend of Bloody Mary and he does it so well by including everything you'd associate with horror: a creepy boarding school, graveyard, dripping taps and an asylum as well as the book taking place over the Halloween period. Say Her Name is everything you could want in a scary Halloween read.

 Adult Thriller 

Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas 

Mother, Mother is a deeply unsettling read. It's not as fast paced as some thrillers out there but it's one that creeps under your skin without you realizing it. I felt so uneasy reading this story about a highly dysfunctional family and was never really sure who to trust. Is Josephine a loving and attentive mother? Or a manipulative monster ruining her children's lives? This one left me chilled. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 

This book is everywhere at the minute and with the film now out (which is also excellent) there's really no better time to pick up this book if you haven't already! I read this one very recently and at first found it slow - but stick with it! Once you're about half way through you get completely sucked into the crazy and won't want to put it down. 

 YA Thriller 

The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher 

This is another book that I read last Halloween. The Killing Woods has a brilliant 'whodunnit' mystery surrounding a game played by teenagers in the local woods. Lucy Christopher's gorgeous writing really brings the woods themselves to life and makes them an ominous setting thick with atmosphere. This is certainly one of the more chilling YA Thrillers I've read. 

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian 

Don't be fooled by the pretty pink cover! If you love Pretty Little Liars you are going to want to get on this series. Although lighter in tone compared to the other books on this list it still packs a punch as three girls take their lust for revenge too far. I found this book impossible to put down and can't wait to read the last book in the series Ashes to Ashes this Halloween! 

 Paranormal 

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke 

This book is gothic paranormal romance at its best. Eerie and grim Tucholke spins a story of a girl who loses her heart to the worst kind of boy. Usually this kind of romance rubs me the wrong way but this one really worked for me as it matches the unsettling atmosphere of the rest of the book. Twisted and sinister is putting it lightly.

Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini 

I couldn't not include this book! Although not particularly scary it puts a fresh new spin on witchcraft and Salem and is one of my favourite paranormal reads of this year. If you're looking for something really different in the paranormal genre this Halloween then I urge you to pick this one up!

I hope my picks have given you some ideas for what to read this Halloween! I'd love to know what would make your list. I just started The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey and am really enjoying it. 

 Happy Halloween!