Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Die for MeDetails:  Die For Me by Amy Plum

        • Pub. Date: May 2011
        • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
        • Format: Hardcover , 352pp
        • Sales Rank: 15,796
        • Age Range: Young Adult
      •   Synopsis:

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I’m fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family’s—in jeopardy for a chance at love?

My Thoughts:

I loved the setting for this book – Paris!  I think that Amy Plum made the right decision setting this story in such a beautiful place.  It made sense with the old buildings and the layout of the town.  It allowed for good flow and romance to build in the story.  Amy does a nice job with her creation of a different type of paranormal, if you will, set of creatures.  It is an unique take on something that is very popular in today’s literature.  I don’t want to share too much because it was one of the best parts of the story and I don’t want any spoilers here!

Another strong point for me with this book was the amount of history and culture that was demonstrated consistently thoughout the course of the story.  I enjoy to learn something that I did not know before through just a passing comment in a story and there were a few of these in this book.

One struggle for me in the book as I felt like the end just kind of came.  There was a lot of build up for a quick ending in my opinion.  I know that there is another book coming and that could have been part of the reason for the somewhat abrupt ending, but I personally would have liked to have seen it played out better.

Overall, I am looking for more from this series.  I enjoyed this story and hope there is much more coming.

My Rating:

An unique take worth taking a look at!

*I purchased this book. All opinions are my own.

Review: Original Sin by Beth McMullen

Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure (Sally Sin Adventures)

Overview – Original Sin

Product Details

  • Pub. Date: July 2011
  • Publisher: Hyperion
  • Format: Hardcover , 304pp


Synopsis:

On the surface, Lucy Hamilton looks just like all the other stay-at-home San Francisco moms. She takes her three-year-old son, Theo, to the beach, to the playground and to the zoo. She feeds him organic applesauce and free-range chicken. She folds laundry and plays on the floor with Matchbox cars until her knees ache. What no one knows about Lucy, not even her adoring husband, is that for nine years Lucy was Sally Sin, a spy for the United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction. And that’s just the way she wants to keep it – a secret. But when Lucy’s nemesis Ian Blackford, a notorious illegal arms dealer, hits the USAWMD’s radar, the Agency calls Sally Sin back to action to lure Blackford out into the open. Racing against time, Lucy must fight to save herself, her loving family – and, oh right – the world. Hilarious and resonant, ORIGINAL SIN is the story of one woman’s quest to find that most elusive work-life balance in the face of danger, intrigue, and proper recycling habits.



My Thoughts:


Well, I enjoyed the story and the interesting facts about the history of Sally Sin, now known as Lucy.  I did have a really hard time with the writing style of the book, however.  The trouble was that each chapter included flashbacks to Sally’s (Lucy’s) time as an agent with the  UDS.  Each of these flashbacks were written in present tense which was difficult to figure out what was happening at what point in her life.  There were a few times that I had to go back and reread sections of the book to ensure that I had a clear understanding.  I also wish that there was more opportunity to really get to know Lucy in her present life as opposed to Sally in her previous life.  I felt like most of the book focused on the past rather than the future.  I just had a pretty hard time with the style of the book other than that it was pretty good.


My Rating:

Good story just the style was not for me.
*I was given this book as a gift from a non-blogger friend.  This in no way affected my review.